Raven's Wish
by ivedonestranger
Summary: Who would have thought a choice could lead to so much pain? Sequel to "Candy"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there! Thank you for starting this story. Just so you know, this is the sequel to "Candy". If you haven't read it, you might want to as it will go into more detail about what this chapter and the following ones are about. To all of you who came here because you read Candy. Thanks for your support and I hope you love this story as much as the first!**

* * *

It started like any other morning for Raven except for the past six months, she found herself with a companion in the early hours. It was one of the rare times that her blinds were open since the sun had yet to start coming up and it allowed her to meditate and soak in the starlight before the bastard of a sun peeked its head up the horizon.

It had taken Richard Grayson a few nights to get used to the fact that she did not stay in her bed, but would wake up at odd hours to meditate, read, or simply stare at him. That last one was a new one. What started out in the spring as a naughty joke and a piece of candy turned into a love Rachel Roth never thought she would have. Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans, had fallen madly in love with her and she reciprocated entirely. Of course, there was a battle with an undead lich, the multiple instances of playing the slut, and winding up dying on the cold marble floor of the ballroom. Here she was, alive and whispering her chant to keep from disturbing her lover who was softly snoring.

Lover. How was that possible? The half-demon sorceress, the mystic Titan, had a lover and had lived past her eighteenth birthday. Even though that was five years ago, Raven was still shocked she was alive. Wasn't she supposed to die bringing hell down upon the world? Wasn't that what the monks told her that her fate would be if she ever left Azarath? Yet here she was.

Richard rolled in the bed, wrapping himself in her blankets, muttering an explicit thought that made a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. To say that they had not been busy since they returned to Jump City would have been a lie.

Raven sighed as she released her soul-self gently to bask in the starlight that funneled through the glass. It was one of the few lights that she could sense, probably because of being part creature of the night. It was peaceful in a way and it soothed her. That was until the spike of pain shot through her chest.

It started under her rib cage and then arced up her ribs, past her lungs, and into her throat which cause her to gasp and fall back. Raven had been floating in the air for a foot or so and immediately hit the ground with a heavy thud. She tried to hold in the cry of pain, but it wormed its way out and instantly Robin was at her side.

"Are you okay?" he said, helping her back into a sitting position and holding her close to his bare chest.

"Yeah," Raven responded, trying to catch her breath. "Just one of those shocks I told you about."

This was not the first. It was actually the fifth through the last two had been closer together than the first and not nearly as rough as the one she just felt.

"You got any ideas?"

"Yeah," Raven said, kissing him on the chin and pushing herself away and up on to her feet. "Side effect of dying, I think."

The mystic Titan meant it as a joke, but the hard expression on Robin's face did not leave. His blue eyes studied her uncomfortably.

"If it's something serious, I can reach out to Batman and see if he can get one of the JLA's specialists to come and take a look at you."

"I'm fine," Raven admonished with a wry chuckle. "It was a joke."

"Oh," Richard responded, his expression softening. "I'm not used to you making non-biting jokes."

"I save all of those for Garfield," Raven said, pulling him up on to his feet and pulling him close, their bare flesh pressing together in a familiar but unfamiliar way. "Plus, I think I'm supposed to be nice to my bed warmer."

"Bed warmer?" Robin said with a laugh. "Is that all I am to you?"

"Oh, you're my toy too," she giggled, pushing him towards the bed. "and I think you owe me some attention after last night."

The two fell backward. There was an hour or two more before daylight.

* * *

Robin hurried towards the standard room, tugging his fresh red, green, and gold uniform into place. He had left Raven in the shower a few moments ago and wanted to get the team all together before she came out. It would have been a lie to say that the dynamic had not changed, but in this case, Robin thought it was mostly good.

Two months from returning to Jump City, Cyborg had taken Robin aside, and they had the heart to heart talk about what Victor was going to do if he thought any of Robin's actions jeopardized the team because of his relationship with one of the team members. It was a hard conversation as both were forced to be candid with each other, but in the end, the boy wonder felt that any concern that Victor had was addressed and since then, the team had functioned like usual. Well, except Beast Boy now made kissy faces at Robin when he thought he wasn't looking to get Bumblebee to laugh or the fact that Starfire wanted to know everything about their sex life.

When Robin strode into the room, all eyes turned to him from their respective places. Beast Boy and Cyborg were on the floor tinkering with some gadget while Starfire held a manual upside down.

"Umm….what, are you doing?"

"They are attempting to upgrade a robot called a Roomba," Starfire pronounced. "Cyborg thought he could improve its tracking technology."

"Stupid thing keeps missing crumbs from around the sofas 'cause its beam is too wide."

"And?"

"I think he fried it, dude," Beast Boy sighed holding up a blackened chip.

"Hey! I can fix it."

Robin shook his head as he made his way past them towards a computer panel. He brought it up to start sorting through the mail.

"I've already got most of the stuff sorted for you," Starfire offered. "There are quite several invitations to events. Since the crime rate has dropped with many of our old nemeses leaving town, the mayor of Jump City wants us on more of the PR campaign."

"Ah," Robin said, noting the subfolder with one hundred and forty-three emails.

"And the league. Have they responded to-"

"No," Starfire said, shaking her head. "and I don't understand why you wish to give up your Robin identity."

Richard smiled at her. He had made it known that he had requested an identity change to a new persona called Nightwing and was only waiting for confirmation. Bruce had told him that he was training a new person to take on the persona of Robin and had actually asked quite nicely if Richard would be willing to relinquish the title. As much as he was fond of the name, the title belonged with Batman.

"I already explained," Robin said with a smile as he went over to the kitchen portion to get some coffee. "Batman is training a new Robin, and as you know, the Treaty of Heroes requires us to have unique identifiers if we are going to do hero work. That's why the police let us help because they trust the JLA's intentions."

Oh, he remembered when the first proposal of the Treaty of Heroes came about when he was still young. Some had compared it to the Nazis registering the jews, but Superman had explained that no one had to register unless they were going to work as a hero. It was more about vetting those who would be helping law enforcement and making sure that everything was done above book. Many superheroes were surprised at how many of their cases against criminals had been thrown out due to bad evidence handling or the fact that it was not done correctly.

Any registered superhero must meet the following requirements: basic knowledge of criminology can prove they are trained with their powers and are a trusted member of the community. No criminal was going to get away now claiming they had been apprehended against their will by someone who was not law enforcement.

"I still don't like the colors you picked. It is too dark," Starfire pouted.

"Noted, Star."

* * *

The water was scalding hot, but that was how Raven liked it. Of course, Richard had joined her in the shower for a little more fun, but she turned it up to drive him out. Now, she had the steamy room for herself. She loved him, but sometimes it felt like he smothered her, not wanting to leave her side. Raven knew it was not that he thought she was weak or needed protecting, the guy was just a sweetheart and wanted to be with her. The fact that anybody wanted to be with her was a shock.

Raven spent a few more minutes lathering herself down before finally turning off the water and getting out. As she began to towel herself off, she felt it again, this time starting in her abdomen and shooting down to her legs. It was sharp, like electricity trying to burn out her nerves. As she buckled and caught herself on the sink, she felt it explode upward, taking her breath away and turning her face warm.

Raven heaved herself up, feeling strange and quickly rubbed the fog away from the mirror. She sucked in a sharp breath at the face that was looking back. It was hers, the gray skin, the intelligent features, the asymmetrical cut purple hair, but...her eyes. They had gone predatory slit like a cat, and the purple had been replaced by a flaming pink. As quickly as it was there, her pupils returned to normal, and the pink shimmered back into deep amethyst.

"_Shit."_


	2. Chapter 2

The evening was warm but not in an uncomfortable sense. It was just a few notches below muggy, which felt comfortable with just the right amount of breeze. The raging heat of summer would descend on Jump City shortly, but for now, Raven was enjoying it. It was better than the tower right now. She had another minor bout of whatever was plaguing her and Robin was being overprotective. Raven grimaced at the memory of them raising their voices over the disagreement of her going out on patrol. She, of course, won the argument but her love was not happy.

Since the level of crime from super villains had dropped considerably with interest moving to other portions of the country, the Titans had gone from double patrols to single patrols allowing for a mixture of being approachable by the citizens and also for more coverage. Back at base, Cyborg was on camera duty but silent in her ear.

Raven floated down the dark streets wrapped in the shadows of her cloak with the orange street lights catching the gem on her forehead once in a while. All that was left on the street were the young men and women on dates hurrying their way home and the criminal nightlife coming to the surface. Of course, the low criminal lives were staying in the shadow. She had already seen a few people wearing gang colors see her floating down the sidewalk, turn pale, and disappear quickly back into the alleys.

The story of what she had done to Doctor Light many years ago had permeated through Jump City, which made ordinary people unsure about her and the non-super powered criminals scared witless. Even now she could sense the fear from a few of the guys standing on street corners trying not to look like the pimps they were. T street was the home of much of the city's scum preying on the poor who could not move to better places. Their very own Gotham Wards. This is where she had decided to patrol.

"Almost like you're looking for a fight," Cyborg had commented when she handed in her itinerary for patrol.

"They deserve protection like anyone else in Jump City," Raven answered evenly as she opened a portal to make her way to the city.

"Sure it is," he waved her off as he had started the cameras. "just try not to beat them too senseless."

One rather horribly dressed man with white, sallow skin had not seen her coming down the street and was yanking a scantily clad girl with too much makeup around. Raven narrowed her eyes as the other pimps were smart enough to clear the road. She alighted right beside him.

"Listen here, you dumb whore, when I tell you to-" he noted that the girl's eyes had gone wide and whatever color that had been in her face was now gone. He turned to see the cloak there, and his face broke into a sneer.

"What do you fucking want?" he growled at her, shoving the woman aside.

A smirk crossed Raven's face, hidden in the shadows of her cloak. This moron had no clue who she was. Raven turned to the girl who had taken three steps away from them.

"Go home," her voice came out laced with magic and power. The girl did not even argue or look back at the man who tried to stop her. She had already been fleeing down the road.

"Who the hell do you think you are messin' with my product," he growled shoving at her. Raven let him touch her cloak and gave to the push. It would have been so easy to snap that arm.

"Is that how you treat women?" Raven asked with a growl letting the anger she had been keeping down come to the surface.

"I can treat them any way I want to 'cause that's how it works out here," he said again. His tone had changed, which meant he noted her voice was that of a woman.

'Go ahead, get cocky,' Raven thought to herself darkly. 'Give me another reason to beat you to a pulp.'

"What are you doing out here so late, sweetie?" he said reaching out to tug down her hood but Raven moved her head slightly, making him miss. "You looking for a new pimp to help you get some cash?"

"Lassiter!" screamed a male voice from down the street. "What the hell are you doing?"

Lassiter turned to gesture to the mystic Titan who still had not moved.

"Got a new bitch here thinking she can tell me what to do."

"You FUCKING moron!" the man yelled back. "That's Raven!"

"Raven?" Lassiter asked with a shrug. "Who cares what her name is?"

"Raven of the Titans you ass-hat. Run before she rips your arms off!"

Lassiter's head snapped back at the name of her team, and she could see the realization sinking in of the situation he was actually in. He moved, but only a step when Raven unleashed her soul self, the black tendrils exploding out from under her cloak tangling him up and slamming him on the ground. It picked him up again and slammed him against the alley wall before letting him fall to the ground.

"I have a particularly nasty dislike for people in your line of work," Raven seethed.

The pimp crawled back through the alley desperately trying to put distance between himself and the dark sorceress that was hovering closer, her white eyes burning brilliantly in the blackness of her hood.

"Pppp..p…...ppleaseee," he whined.

"You've got a choice," Raven growled at him. "You walk right now to the JCPD and confess your sins to them, or I shall drag you to the pits of hell where you can meet true monsters."

"I'll do anything!" he pleaded sense the oozing presence of her demon half.

"You better because I know what you smell like. I'll find you if you fail your end of the bargain."

Without any other comment, the man went sprinting down the alley vanishing. She set herself back down and allowed the power around her to dissipate. She felt in a better mood and doubted the criminal would actually turn himself in.

Looking about, she found that she had gone quite a distance down the alley and into a little culdesac of doors and backways, a hidden neighborhood made up of the buildings around. Not usually a safe place for an average person unless you knew what you were doing. She could see the closed stands and the signs that life did live here away from the bustle of the main streets. A few homeless shacks had sprung up, and there was a burning barrel deeper in the catacombs of alleyways.

"That was quite an amazing display of control," a soft voice spoke to her from her right.

Raven's head snapped around to see a decently dressed man in a gray button-up, brown slacks and a teacup with saucer in his hands. She detected the scent of a strong cinnamon tea coming from his cup. He was sitting on the back steps, the light shining out from his home illuminating the darkness. Raven could make out the tight dark curls of his head and distinctly middle eastern voice.

"That anger though, it must get the better of you sometimes," he continued taking a sip and seemingly ignoring the fact that a sorceress was standing in front of him.

A pang of irritation shot through her. This was the first time that anyone normal human had not even flinched or showed no emotion of the fact of what she was and what she was capable of doing.

"Tea?" he offered. "Want to talk about that anger?"

Raven gave a growl in response and floated on and up, leaving the man where he sat. She glanced down and found that he had not even bothered to look up and watch her go. He had simply gone back to his tea and the little book that sat on his lap.

Landing on the 9 story building and finally being out of the stench of the alley, she basked in the moonlight and breeze that blew over the rooftop. Of course, there were taller buildings, but they formed a tunnel allowing the breeze to cleanse her pallet. Who the hell was he? Why did his presence throw her off so much?

She wanted to resist the urge to peer over and look again. Raven did not want to look like she was the one bitten by curiosity. It was the tinkling laugh that reached her ears. So familiar that it brought a light blush to her cheeks. Floating over to the edge, Raven leaned over just enough to see down and saw her.

Her pink hair was done up like two horns, the purple dress, the black choker around the lovely gray throat. How could she ever miss the familiar profile of Jinx?

"Miss Jinx," the man said, standing and putting the book in his pocket. "Hopefully you did not come to any harm?"

"Sorry I'm late, Mister al-Salehi," she said, extending her hand. He took it, gave it a shake, and then kissed the top of it. Raven felt a flare of jealousy but repressed it. She had no room to go down any of the feelings she had for Jinx. Robin, of course, knew all about it as they sat down in their first week and talked extensively of the pinkette and Raven's relationship with her. Robin was such a wonderful man who listened with no judgment. He knew she was bisexual and had feelings for the hex witch at one point. Robin was her love now, but sometimes the strange ache would sneak up when she wasn't paying attention.

"Please come in, my dear, we have a lot to cover,"

Criminal mischief. Jinx was back in town and planning illegal activities.

"Raven to Cyborg,"

"Wha…! Oh! Raven. What's up?" Cyborg came back, confused.

Raven narrowed her eyes though he was not there to see it. "You were asleep, weren't you?"

"No comment. What's up, girl?"

"Jinx."

"What about her?"

"She's back in Jump City. I stumbled on to a criminal meet up with someone in an alley."

"Tracking your location…. You're near Seven Devils Alley. Not a great place to be Raven. Got a lot of magic users who are known to live there."

"It's quiet at the moment. If she's in town, Her team has got to be here. HIVE might be planning something here."

Cyborg hesitated, and Raven huffed with impatience.

"What?"

"Didn't she like...go straight or mercenary or something?"

"Mercenaries are criminals too, Cyborg," Raven growled.

"So, what's the plan then?"

"I can't get in right now without a plan, I think we need to get this place set up for stakeout. We might be able to stop them before it starts."

With that, she flew up into the night sky and made her way back to her patrol route, trying not to think of the blueberry scent that haunted her dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again to RobRae-Headquarters for beta reading this chapter and helping me get it sounding right. I appreciate the time you put into it! **

* * *

The sing of the birdarang against metal followed by the explosion was something of a comfort to Robin. For the years he had been fighting in Jump City, his tools and arsenal had become such a staple, he felt naked without them. The billowing smoke from the hole that had cut through the two-story robot was only a dent in what had turned out to be a solid fight.

What was it? Who sent it? Robin had no idea and no interest in finding out at the moment. What was important was the fact it had tramped down main street and put its giant fist through the window of a jewelry store. Jump City Police Department immediately issued a Titan summon while cordoning off the street and clearing civilians.

It had been a good relationship with the police. They handled most crimes and allowed the Titans to patrol but when it came to a meta or something outside of their scope, they called the masked heroes in. The last of the civilians had cleared the street when the robot displayed an impressive missile rack and fired off a few at them. Lucky for Robin, they were unguided and just randomly exploded around him as he dodged out of the way.

"If this is Gizmo, I'm gonna stuff him so far up this robot's ass, he's not gonna get out for a week," Cyborg yelled towards nobody in particular as his sonic cannon rocked against the metallic creature's hide. It stumbled a few steps but continued to stand.

The green star bolts smashed into it as Starfire zipped through, twisted mid-flight and let loose on her powerful eyebeams to the back of the robot's elongated head. It fell forward on to one knee, raised a palm and a brilliant beam of blue energy barely missed his Tamaranian friend.

Robin charged forward, reaching for his belt for the magnetic directional charges while Cyborg covered him. So many years and they did not need to communicate their plan. Funny thing though, this was not the first robot they ever faced. To others, that might seem weird.

The other weird thing was the addition to the team that had become seamless. What she lacked in experience, she had replaced with exuberance. Over to the left supporting Beast Boy was the girl in the frilly pink skirt that came to her knees and the white stockings with bows and the pink mask that covered half her face. She whirled around with a parasol that when opened generated an electrical energy field absorbing damage whilst firing back powerful bolts of lightning.

Pink Phantom had been a loved addition from her girly appearance and the "I'm going to kick your ass with girly clothes" mentality. Robin had a chance to examine Annabeth Connor's gizmos. They were clever electric generators that harnessed her movement to charge themselves and well-balanced battery packs for extra charges. Psycho, as her friends lovingly called her, had sunk a lot of money into playing the hero.

Running between the machine's legs and avoiding its large hand, Robin threw two handfuls of the little bombs towards the joints of the thing. He heard the clink and chirp of it arming followed by the focused blast that cut ribbons through its legs. The robot felt forward and landed on its knees while holding itself up.

The back of it opened up and unleashed a cloud of little bombs that began to explode thick as gnats on spoiled fruit. Robin's mind quickly ran through scenarios and could only hope he could move to one of the severed legs for cover before they got to him. A black energy field surrounded him as Raven landed beside him and the explosions went off harmless around her magic shield.

"Azerath Metrion ZINTHOS!"

The focused power caused the hair on his arms to stand on end as the energy field surrounded three cars and landed squarely on the robot's back. It's head fell forward exposing its neck which Starfire did not hesitate but blast through while Beast Boy in bison form rammed it, causing the headed to bounce away.

The metal hulk laid there quiet and unmoving.

"Booyah!" Cyborg cheered as Beast Boy returned to his usual form and stood beside him. "I think that makes twenty-three robots in my career."

Robin turned to Raven with a grin and he saw her eyes smiling back at him.

"Could you move the wreckage out of the way, sweetheart, so the police can get the cleaning crews in here?" he asked running his hand along her arm.

She raised her hand and the black energy surrounded the form but to his surprise, a pink energy bolt shot around the black sphere with a snap and hiss. Raven cried out falling back as the spark exploded in a shower of rose-colored sparks. As Raven fell backward, Robin caught her and saw her eyes. If he didn't know it was Raven he would have been shocked at the pink cat-like slits looking back. They quickly faded to her lovely amethyst ones.

"Raven, what's going on?" Robin asked trying to help her up. She pushed him away.

"Nothing. I'm just recovering," she said.

"Rachel, your eyes changed. They were...they were Jinx's."

"I know."

She wouldn't turn towards him and her hood had been pulled tighter over her head.

"Raven-"

"I'm fine, Richard. I'm just healing. There are going to be some problems."

Pink Phantom alighted by her drifting down from her perch by parasol before folding it up and putting it over her shoulder.

"Yay! My first robot!" she squealed.

"Don't get cocky," Cyborg chided with fatherly advice. "This was one of the easier ones."

Cyborg had taken the girl under his wing, having upgraded a lot of her systems. The little blouse and skirt now had nanotechnology and its own operating system that allowed her to monitor the status not to mention pleating the skirt with ablative armor thread.

"We need to get this clear so the police can reopen the street. We need samples too so we can find out where this bot came from," Robin said. He turned to look for Raven but she had disappeared.

Instinctively he wanted to go look for her but held himself back. She was a grown woman and he was only her boyfriend. He wanted to protect her, to drag her to the softness of their bed's comforters but Raven was not the type to be coddled. She loved the snuggle but the girl had fought for a place on her own and would not give it up.

Instead, he turned himself back to the problem at hand. The giant pile of robot guts that now seemed to be leaking hydraulic fluid.

'_God, it's going to get all in my uniform.'_

* * *

Raven had opened a portal to nowhere in particular and found herself upon the top of a building. A quick look around showed her that she had actually teleported herself back to the first building that she got a glimpse of Jinx only two weeks before. She had staked out the place for a few nights but never saw her again and this man she was talking to had no criminal record and actually ran a bookshop downtown.

Robin made it clear that there was no evidence to proceed in an investigation and it was dropped. A stray thought had brought her here. It was quiet and so she sat down.

Raven had told Robin she was fine and that she needed to heal. She desperately wanted to believe it but something inside her felt wrong. Like an itch or something in her body that was not quite synced up. It was an ache in the back of the mind that would not go away. What was happening to her?

Richard wanted to go to the Justice League and speak with Zatanna or Constantine, ostensibly because of their experience with demons and other extra-dimensional creatures, but she had made that a firm no. The Justice League did not come to rescue her when her father wanted to destroy the universe, she wasn't going to them for help.

"Penny for your thoughts...or a dollar for your panties."

The voice felt like silk against her ears and a low flush touched her gray cheeks. The voice was behind her but Raven knew who it was.

"It's hard to get panties off in this leotard, Jinx," Raven scoffed in irritation.

"I can help if ya want,"

Raven turned to fully face the woman of her dreams and nightmares. Jinx looked and dressed the same as she always did, the dark dress with little cape, the black choker, purple striped leggings and thick-soled shoes for fighting. The clothing hugged her svelte figure perfectly while her hair sloped upwards in their trademark horseshoe homage.

"You're back in town I see," Raven said cooly watching her. Jinx had made no move from the corner of the building near the hatch to the top. She seemed at ease and not ready to fight.

"You know, stuff."

"Planning some criminal activity with that, el-sahid guy?" Raven asked keeping her voice hard. Jinx might have been on their side at one point but she was not going to assume the teams had not changed again.

"Ibraham?" Jinx asked with a surprised expression then broke into a grin. "Oh, no. No plans with that guy."

Raven was about to open her mouth to accuse her of lying when she felt the pressure start in the small of her back and cause her to arch and fall forward. There was a crackle as the pink energy found its way out and danced across her cloak. Raven began falling forward but was immediately engulfed in the blueberry scented arms of the other woman.

"Oh, no! I should have realized," Jinx said cooing as she gently settled on the ground holding Raven. Raven wanted to kick away but the spiking in her back and legs had not stopped, the electrical currents dancing underneath her skin.

"What...what did you do to me?"

"It's a side effect, sweetie. You didn't show signs of it while we were in Gotham so I didn't think it had happened."

"What...happened!" Raven growled trying to control the twitching of her lower body.

"When I brought you back to life. I used my own soul to charge the remains of yours and then used Psycho's energy to strain it. The straining wasn't pure."

"Meaning?"

"Some of my energy and merged with yours, sweetie. There is chaos in you now."

That made sense. Raven had read treatises on energy swapping of souls but most of it had been in necromancer books and things she would not have done.

"Get it out of me."

"I can't. It's part of your soul now, Raven." Jinx said running her hand softly through the girl's hair. Raven could hear the honest and caring tone in her voice.

"What?" Raven asked the shock showing on her face.

"It's part of you. It's not going away."

Raven stared at her in stunned silence.

"It's….it's interfering with my work, Jinx."

"Sorry, girl. It wasn't like I could advise you of the risks. You were dead."

Raven understood that but she was not letting the pinkette off the hook.

"You need to fix this. You screwed me up, you need to put me back together, like the way I was. When I was useful."

Jinx's eyes were soft and gentle as she helped Raven stand back up, the spiking having faded.

"I think you should speak with Ibraham, Raven."

"Why should I speak to your criminal friend, Jinx?" Raven spat brushing herself off and letting the anger fester under her emotions.

"He's my counselor."

"What?"

"He's kind of a special counselor for unique and gifted people. The HIVE uses him for traumatic stress or trying to find a way to adjust a student to the life." Jinx said sitting down on the ground and patting the dirt beside her. Raven slowly came over but sat down in front of her and out of arm's reach.

"So, a bad guy?"

"A neutral. He's more interested in making us into better versions of ourselves or just coping with what we are. He likes helping kids who learn of their powers and helping them find a way. That's either towards the Justice League and hero work or towards the HIVE for money and fun."

"And you're seeing him because…."

Jinx reached into her pocket and Raven tensed for the fight. Instead, the pinkette pulled out a white card with silver numbers on it and handed to her.

"You should talk to him. Tell him I sent you and tell him your suffering from soul dysplasia."

"He can fix me?"

"No, sweetie but he can help you cope with your new situation," Jinx said gently. She reached and touched Raven on the cheek but the sorceress pulled away hurling the card away from her.

"Go away, Jinx."

The woman did not argue. She gave one small smile and quickly left the way she came. Raven glared at the card laying on the ground trying to understand what she was told. Jinx said she was broken and useless, her powers to be forever interfered with by the bits of chaos floating inside. Raven was now a liability and a hazard to the team. How was Robin going to take all this?

Raven turned and marched away to fly back to the tower but stopped. Quickly scooping up the card with a shadow tendril, she glided away to the gleaming T in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

The rain poured down hard as Raven wandered the streets. Her cloak had been soaked through, and the point of the hood was a miniature waterfall running down her cheek. At least it hid the tears. The seasonal rains had begun to drench the city, and the sane people were rushing into alcoves or down the streets to home trying to get their umbrella to protect them. Raven did not care.

The girl had lost track of how long she had been wandering the streets. Her T-communicator was angrily hurled into the bay when Robin tried to call her.

"_Rachel, this condition is ripping you apart. I can see the pain in your eyes. Let me call Batman and get a specialist. Jinx could be wrong."_

_"You know what I think of them, Richard. I went to them on my knees to help stop my father, and they thought I was trying to help him. I'm not going to them now."_

"_Stop being stubborn. This is your life we're talking about."_

There was so much anger in his eyes. Raven could not tell if it was at her or her actions. She knew somewhere in her mind that she was ridiculous, but this was the hill she decided to stand on, and she wasn't going to back off.

She made a corner and the wind ripped at her, causing the cold water droplets to sting her bare legs. Raven drifted into the ally out of the wind and leaned against the wall rubbing at her red eyes with her soaked sleeve. Much good that did to dry her face. Robin's angry voice was still ringing in her head.

_"What the hell am I supposed to do, Rachel? I'm watching you tear yourself apart. We're supposed to be a couple. A team."_

_"Then trust me," she had hissed at him. "I'll deal with this, and we can go back the way we were."_

"_There is no going back. You died, Raven, and we don't know what it did to you. We only have the pink bitch to tell us."_

"_She's NOT a bitch."_

_Richard's eyes had narrowed, and she did not mean to cast her eyes towards the floor as if she was ashamed._

"_Raven…."_

"_Let me deal with this, Robin. This is my burden."_

"_I want to help."_

"_Then go away."_

Go away. He had stood there for a few seconds before turning on his heel and storming out of their room. Yeah, she knew she was horrible, but the emotional turmoil in her would not stop. She had been such a healthy person before Nocturnus, and now she had been reduced to a shaking little girl who could only be helped like an invalid. She was angry. She...she was ashamed.

Fresh tears ran down her face as she forced herself back into the wind, letting it punish her for her weakness. She was so ashamed of what she had become. Robin had fallen in love with a girl that, in Raven's opinion, had not come back from the dead. She was a broken woman who could not protect her friends and required others to help. Oh, Raven was furious of the looks of concern and pity the others on the team would give her.

Of course, Robin had to tell them something, and he mentioned it was just some sort of side effect from Gotham that they would find a solution for. He had said we, as if they were a couple but she already felt alone. She was pathetic. Raven tried to summon her power, but before she could manifest her soul self, she felt the pang of the chaos magic and immediately stopped.

"FUCK!" she screamed at the wind and the empty street. She spun and gave the nearby dumpster a swift kick. It was anchored down, and the explosion of pain shot through her foot up her leg. Raven embraced the pain, punishment for how much was a screw up now.

Charging ahead with a slight limp towards yet another street. The area was getting a bit seedier, with strip club signs blinking and a few drug peddlers in the corners who shrunk into the darkness a bit more in fear she would see them. Raven did not care. She just wanted to be away.

Robin, to his credit, had tried to comfort her. He had spent a week being really sweet to her, but honestly, it was not anything more than he always did. More than likely, she was more sensitive to it and rebuffed it not feeling worthy of the attention. Though they slept in the same bed, they know longer partook in naked activities. Raven felt broken, and as much as Robin had whispered loving things in her ear, she just could not feel as if she could give him what he really needed.

Then there was Starfire.

"_Friend Raven. Do you not want to love Robin anymore?"_

_The question had come out of nowhere in the hallway when Raven had passed her friend in the hall. Raven had turned back lifting her head from a necromantic book and looked at the fit, orange-skinned Tamaranian in her short purple skirt, top, and armor. Her red hair glowed like fire in the setting orange sun shining through the window._

_"What?" Raven asked with a raised eyebrow. She had still not let them see the vulnerable side of her, as Robin had._

_"You avoid Robin more lately and have not partaken in the dance of the flesh," Starfire said with loving concern in her voice. She approached cautiously and placed a hand gently on Raven's forearm._

_A fire burned in Raven's cheeks at such a statement. She tried to maintain eye contact._

"_What...do you mean?"_

_"I see Robin's forlorn expressions when he is working, and he thinks nobody is looking. He is very concerned about your wellbeing. I...also am only three doors from Robin and have the fortunate of excellent Tamaranian hearing."_

_Robin had lovingly teased her that she was a screamer, but she did not realize that she was that loud. The red in her cheeks deepened even more._

"_I do not mean to embarrass you, friend. I just seek to understand and help in your relationship as you two mean so much to me. My life would be less bright if I did not have you two."_

"_This is not any of your business, Star," Raven had growled at the stunned girl. "You don't have a stake in this."_

_Raven turned her back and began reading again when Star's words cut her like a sharp blade._

_"I care more than you know, Raven. You took my boyfriend from me, and I did not complain. I saw his love for you, and I am invested in his happiness...even if it is not with me."_

Raven stole her boyfriend. How was it that they were together for that many months after returning from Gotham and it never dawned on her that she had actually taken Richard from his girlfriend. That time in Tokyo, the two had become a couple and they had been such loving partners. Starfire had been so happy and in hindsight, Raven had been a bit jealous. Then Nocturnus and she had stolen Robin without any consideration of her friends. She didn't even think about it. Burning with shame, Raven had run away from Starfire, leaving the girl standing in the hallway.

The sorceress ducked into a business alcove when the wind and rain had become so hard that it was stealing her breath away. What time was it anyway? How long had she been wandering?

The door to the business' bell jingled happily as someone pulled it open. Raven turned startled to the man who stood in the opening in flannel pajamas and a cup of tea in his hand. The girl recognized him as Ibrahim el-sahid, the bookkeeping superhero counselor.

"Have you ever tried a traditional arab cinnamon tea, Miss Raven?" he asked simply from the door. The exotic fragrance coming from the door warmly and inviting. "shaayi bil qirfah wa'l yansoon is quite a wonderful tea to warm you up on a wet day."

He stepped aside with a gentle smile, letting her enter. Raven hesitated only for a moment before stepping in and out of the rain. The door jingled shut behind her, and she was immediately hit by the smell of cinnamon, cardamon, and old books. Oh, how much fun it would be to explore this place in the daytime.

The central portion of the book shop was dark, with only the lighting illuminating it. Farther to the opposite side, a single door with a warm glow beckoned to her. She followed the man, and she found herself in a beautiful little sitting room with an exotic couch, a small fireplace burning happily and mementos and trinkets from his Arab culture.

"Sorry that I'm dripping on your carpet," Raven mumbled under her breath, the pink in her cheeks betraying her humiliation.

"That's one of the many uses for carpets, my dear. You shouldn't apologize for something doing what it's intended to do," he said, moving to a cupboard and pulling out some large, dark, towels.

"May I suggest you remove your cloak, hang it up by the fire, wrap up in these and have a seat by the fire?" Ibrahim said, offering the towels. "I shall get another cup of tea, and we can warm up by the fire until you are ready to move on."

Raven stripped off the wet garment and hung it up by the fire as he suggested. Embarrassment flooded her as she realized her leotard was clinging to every curve of her body, and her chest was advertising how cold the rain actually was. Turning back, she found he had left the room, and she quickly wrapped up in the warm cloth and sat gingerly on the Arabian inspired couch.

Her eyes wandered the mantle that held trinkets, boxes, and pictures faded but filled with smiling faces.

"That is my family from my time when I was in Morocco," he said, walking through the door and placing a delicate saucer and teacup in front of her. The smell was glorious. She picked it up and took a sip letting the cinnamon and sweetness rest of her tongue.

"They still there?"

"Unfortunately no. They passed away some time ago. One of the reasons I chose to move to the United States of America."

"I'm sorry."

"Part of life, my dear."

He sat down in the chair near the fire and sipped on his tea. For the next fifteen minutes, they were quiet. He had gone back to reading his book, and she curled up under the towels that were drying her. Raven could not handle the silence any longer.

"I know who you are."

"Of course you do," he said, looking up from his book.

"I know what you do." Goddess, she was such an idiot.

"And what is it that I do, Miss Raven?"

"You're some kind of counselor."

"Correct."

Silence reigned again, but he did not put his book down and kept watching her.

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No."

Raven went back to her tea and Ibrahim back to his book.

"I'm so fucking tired." Raven blurted out, putting her tea down. "I'm tired of having to fight my father, save the city, battle my inner demon, deal with this soul dysplasia and the pain of life."

Ibrahim closed his book and set it aside but did not say anything. He just listened.

"Ever since my mission to Gotham, my life has been turned upside down and I don't know heads or tails. My boyfriend is trying to help me but I…I can't face him in my condition."

"Why?"

"Because…." Raven hesitated, but the reason hit her pretty solid. "because I don't want to be weak in front of him. He's a non-meta who can kick the crap out of bad guys, and I'm a sorceress who needs help getting out of bed to go pee."

"You feel ashamed of your condition."

"Humiliated is more like it," she growled.

"And your boyfriend?"

The last conversation, just earlier today, came back to Raven hard.

"_How dare you!" she screamed at him in their room. Robin stood by the closed door, expressionless. "How dare you involve the Justice League. I told you I didn't want them."_

_"Raven, the attacks are getting worse. They're more frequent, and it's taking you longer to recover." Robin said evenly. "You need to take care of yourself. I love you, and I can't see you suffer like this."_

_"What? Can't handle an invalid?" she snapped at him angrily. It was unfair and not what he had said, but she had been pissed._

"_Raven."_

_"Richard. I don't want them; I don't need them. __**I don't need you."**_

Those last words were not what she meant to say, but they had come out. He simply turned and walked out of the room, leaving her alone. What followed was a scream of rage, teleporting out of the tower, and then her wandering of the streets. He had tried to call her 10 minutes later, but she had hurled the communicator into the ocean more out of shame than anger.

"I...I irreparably damaged our relationship."

"Ah. I see. Did he tell you this?"

"No. But I have lived with him for many years. I know him."

"Do you?"

Raven snarled at the man and jumped up almost spilling the tea on the coffee table. She grabbed her half-dry cape and knocked a box off the mantle. She caught it with her magic and brought it to her hand. It was a beautiful, intricate, carved wooden box. She fiddled with it as her anger died.

"I...I just don't like what I've become. I've never liked what I am."

"Raven," he said, trying to stand to put the book down and his tea to aside.

"I just wish I was human and didn't have to deal with this anymore."

The room pulsed and Raven's body felt as if it had caught on fire. Smoke seemed to fill the room, but none was there. She gasped, falling backwards as it felt as if her guts were being ripped out of her chest. Raven hit the ground hard, and the last thing she saw was Ibrahim leaning down to cradle her head.

* * *

It had been four hours since Raven had vanished from the tower. Everyone else had gone to bed but Robin sat in the living room staring out the window at Jump City as the rain obscured and blurred the lights of the city. He held his communicator in his hand that showed 0 messages. He understood why she was angry and sighed.

Those words that she did not need him stung but it was not a surprise. He actually never felt she needed him but she wanted to be with him. Her disappearance from the tower was a bit distressing but he trusted her and probably needed some air.

Standing and knowing she'd be even more pissed if she found him waiting up for her, he typed "I love you" and texted it to her communicator. Hopefully, she would read it soon and come home.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the sound of a clap of thunder that started Raven awake. She shook in fear as she groped around in the little light that was coming in from the street lights. Her body was drenched in sweat, and she immediately found strong arms, which she clung to trembling.

"Robin?"

"Unfortunately not, Miss Raven," the Middle Eastern voice came back.

Everything that had happened before she lost consciousness hit her. She was again aware she was in the apartments of the strange man and the fact there was a bright flash of light before pain.

"What….what happened?" Raven asked, her lower lip trembling slightly. What had happened to her? Had she lost complete control of her emotions?

"Your wish was granted, I'm afraid," Ibraham said as he clicked back on the low study light by his chair. Raven blinked quickly, trying to adjust. Across from her, curled up on another, the small couch was a form draped in her cape.

A mixture of panic and fear shot through her wondering who had taken her cape. She tried to stand but caught herself on the man who had not left her side. That was when she noticed her arms. They were hers, but the skin was human color. Her hands quickly went to her face and could not feel her gem.

"My...my skin...my face!"

"Calm down, Miss Raven, I can-"

Raven shoved past him and bolted into another room and found what she was looking for. It was the man's bedroom, and a full-length mirror stood in the corner. She stood there, only wrapped in a blanket. She let it fall gaping at not only her nakedness but the fact that her skin was pink like an average human. Her hair was chestnut brown and more shocking, her eyes were simple brown.

She saw Ibraham standing in the doorway through the mirror, and her heart trilled in fear. It appeared as if smoke was coming off of him, and his eyes glowed a deep inner blue. Cracks ran across his skin that seemed to want to let the iridescent color out. She spun and found a normal man standing there.

"The mirror shows what I truly am. That's why I don't like going out in the day time," He said, going to his dresser and pulling out some clothes.

"What...what are you?"

"I am a Djinn," Ibraham chuckled. "and you, my dear, made a wish while holding on to my artifact. You cast the wish on yourself."

The blur of her words came back. They had been absent-minded and angry, but had she really done it? Wished that she was human?

"I'm human?"

"You were always human, but your wish separated your demon half out of you," Ibraham explained, setting a pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt, and a sweater on the bed beside her. "You might want to get dressed."

A crimson blush, and sheer embarrassment exploded out of her chest as she realized she was standing in front of him stark naked. She quickly tried to cover herself but grabbed for the clothes. Ibraham was already going out the door.

"I thought Djinn lived in lamps or bottles?" Raven called confused from the room.

"A racist assumption, my dear," he answered with a hint of amusement. "A Djinn can be bound to anything when they are created. For me, it was the little Chinese puzzle box you found."

"I can't stay this way. I have to change back. Robin….my boyfriend...he's not going to understand. The team is not going to understand."

It was the expression in his eyes that made the pit of Raven's stomach sink. The feeling of impending doom pushing on her chest.

"I'm sorry, my dear. That's not how it works. You've used the wish. It'll take several decades before enough energy is recharged to cast another one."

The dark-haired woman's legs trembled and gave way. She barely caught herself on the couch before bursting into tears.

"What's wrong with me?" She sobbed. "I've ruined everything. Why am I crying?"

"You have normal human emotions now, my dear."

That was not a comfort. All Raven could think about was the fact that she had reached the bottom. She was now completely and absolutely useless. No longer a sorceress, no longer able to defend her friends, no longer worth anyone's time.

'_Richard.'_

He would be so mad at her for doing what she did. He had always said that he loved her the way she was, and she had changed everything. The entire scenario played itself out in her mind, him still wanting her to be around but stuck in the tower, being overprotected, not able to do anything to help the team anymore. She had destroyed everything.

There was a moan from the couch, and Ibraham went over, laid his hand on the form's head, and murmured words in Arabic. The figure yawned and went back to sleep.

"Who is that?" Raven asked.

"Your other half."

The demon. The part of her that she had wished for so long to be rid of. Raven shivered and stood. She shook herself and reached for the phonebook.

"I need to leave."

"Running away is not going to make anything-"

"No," Raven retorted. "I've done enough damage to my friends. I've failed them since Gotham and now...now, I'm just some weak, little woman, who isn't worth any of their time."

"Raven," Ibraham started. "Your friends love you."

"No, they loved Raven. I'm not her anymore. I destroyed her in my own self-pity, and now I have to pay the price. They can't see me anymore. I can't destroy the memory. I should have stayed dead when Nocturnus killed me."

"Rave-"

"Don't call me that," Raven said as she picked up the elegant phone receiver and dialed the bus station. "She's dead."

From that point, the Djinn no longer said anything but simply sat down and watched her as she made phone calls. Her mind was reeling, but she had to plan. Richard would not give up on her, but she couldn't let him see what she had done to herself. If anything, she wanted to leave him with the memory of who she once was.

The plan was simple. She bought different tickets for different buses but had Ibraham book a train in his name. The train would take her to Los Angeles, where she could use the money she had saved up from years of hero work to entirely disappear. The girl could not bear the thought of them seeing her for what she was now.

Raven did not wait for Ibraham but stole his umbrella and charged out into the rain. It was still coming down, but the wind had long since died. She ignored his cries for her to wait, flagged down a taxi, and lept in.

"Jump City Train Station," she said quickly.

She stared out the window and balked at the face that looked back. It was hers but so alien at the same time. She had butchered herself with a careless wish.

'_I'm just the walking dead now,'_ she muttered darkly, trying to ignore the urge to cry again.

* * *

When the alarm sounded, Robin sat straight up in bed. It was a perimeter breach, and something was coming up the main driveway. He grabbed his belt but left his pajamas on, ready to fight. After a quick glance, he realized his girlfriend had not been home yet.

The boy wonder charged into the hallway as Starfire flew right up beside him. As they came into the main room, Cyborg stood there with a middle eastern man who had a bundle in his arms. Robin recognized it immediately.

"Raven!" he shouted, charging forward. He was not sure if he wanted to kill the man or rescue his girl.

"Robin! Stop! It's not Raven."

Robin slowed, staring at the bundle warily. It was her cape all right, and the form pressing through looked a lot like her. The man set the form down gently on one of the couches, and Cyborg sighed. The hood had fallen back, and Starfire gasped in surprise. The sleeping face looking at him was Raven's, but her skin was burnt red, and he could make out the four closed eyelids and little antlers sprouted from her forehead. The blood-red gem in the center of the two sprouts.

"What….what happened?"

"He's a Djinn, Robin," Cyborg said. "That's why I let him in. Jinx gave me an update after she encountered Raven on the roof."

Yes, Jinx had come immediately to them to let him know about the situation, even though he pretended he didn't realize when Raven first told him. Robin had not been sure why Jinx had told him, but he had seen the concern in the woman's eyes.

"She made a wish," the man said. "and she split herself into her demon half and her human half."

"Where is the other Raven then?" Starfire asked.

"Train station," the man said without breaking eye contact with Robin. "She left for there two hours ago."

'_NO!'_ Robin's insides screamed.

"We got to get there before she leaves-"

"I already checked the surveillance footage, man," Cyborg answered, his voice choking up. "The train left, and I think I saw her board. It looked like her from behind, I didn't get a look at her face."

"Where did the train go?" Robin said quickly, walking over to the Titan's computer and bringing it up. "We can track her from there."

"She drained her bank account. Cash purchases from there on out. I lost her tail in Los Angeles."

"Lost...her?" Robin's face was a whisper. His entire world felt like it was on his shoulders, shoving him towards the ground. Starfire wrapped her arms around his waist and hefted him to the couch when he collapsed.

"I'm sorry, man," Cyborg said as Beast Boy patted the boy wonder on the shoulder. The green young man only in his shorts.

"We...we can't rest. We have to find her."

"I have no doubt you'll want to try," the Djinn started again. "but you may want to figure out what to do with her other half before you do. If she's a full demon, you're going to have a lot on your hands."

His girlfriend was gone. Tears stung his eyes as the thought dawned on him that she was not coming home. She had left. Raven did not even ask for his help. There had to be a way around it. She did not even say goodbye.

"No!" Robin said, jumping up. "I'm not going to give up on her. I'm taking the Titan jet to Los Angeles. I can find her before she leaves town."

And that was what he did. The flight was short, but the search of the city was long and throughout the morning and blazing hot day. Robin did not rest as he showed her picture and questioned the criminal underworld on her movement. Nobody had seen her. One had even mentioned that as a human, she looked like a pretty average girl.

It was tears of anger that soaked his cheeks as he watched the sunset on the city he had lost his love in. The inevitable descending on him. She did not want to be found. She did not want him. She had left him instead of asking for his help. The message she was sending was straight forward. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few wrapped peppermint candies he had bought in a useless gesture to try and win her back if he could find her, but he would never have that chance.

Robin tilted his hand and watched the pieces slowly fall out of his hands and plop into the puddle in front of him. His chest heaved and wracked sob, and he looked up at the sun as it dipped below the horizon and turned to head back home to his team. Robin stopped, looked over his shoulder at the red-orange band, and whispered the words he promised he would never say.

"Goodbye, Raven."


	6. Chapter 6

**3 years later…**

"Rachel Adams! Wake up!"

Rachel jerked her head up from the counter where she had been counting napkins as the "Scrumptious Cupcake" cafe was preparing to open. She blinked in surprise at the boisterous teenage girl who had screamed her name.

"What? What's going on, Bethany?" Rachel asked, confused.

"I asked you a question...twice."

"I'm trying to count napkins," Rachel said with a growl as she realized that the count was now wholly lost.

"I said, what do you think about that guy?"

_'Oh, Azar,'_ Rachel cursed in her head, throwing the pile of napkins and made her way out from behind the counter. Her dark shoulder-length curls had been done up in a bun, and the white apron was the only thing subduing the ridiculous pink and yellow polka-dot uniform that the owner of the cafe made them wear.

Rachel came over to the windows and looked in the direction that Bethany was pointing. The heavyset girl with red pigtails was grinning happily.

"I said I'd play this stupid game with you if you helped me set up." Rachel groused. She had lost a bet where she would have to answer any questions truthfully for the day.

The dark-haired waitress studied the figure of the young man across the street and shrugged. "He's cute, I guess."

"You guess?" Bethany said in astonishment. "That is a marvelous dreamboat over there, and you just shrug."

"Whatever."

"You into girls or something?"

A thought of something pink flitted in the deepest part of her mind, and Rachel quickly banished it.

"You know that if we were living a novel, you'd fail the Bechdel Test miserably," Rachel cracked sardonically as she made her way back to the abandoned napkins.

"I'm not good at math, I told you that," Bethany said in a mock pout.

"It's not a math test, it's a-"

The doorbell jangled as a man wearing a white t-shirt walked in.

"Hey, beautiful," he said with a whistle towards Rachel.

"Shut up and get in the back," Rachel answered without looking up. "Those dishes aren't going to wash themselves, and we're going to have the lunch crowds soon."

It was only her third week as day shift manager, and the stress had so far not killed her. She knew she had handled other stressful situations, but that had been another life. So, now everyone was cooperating, and the owner had seen fit to give her a raise with the position.

"You and that boyfriend of yours still running that after school dance studio?" the kid in the back asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, if I wanted to get lessons, would you teach or him?"

"In your dreams, Ronald."

"When are you going to introduce us to your boyfriend?" Bethany asked, sidling up to the counter. "You've been dating for what, a year now? You help out at his dance studio, and you won't bring him in to see us."

"I'd rather you not drool all over him, Bethany. You also need to finish setting those places before we get our first customer. Now, move."

And that was how the day went. The customers came in at a steady stream, and she would randomly check to see that Chet, her boyfriend, had sent her a meme or a funny post on the social media app Whistler. He was so typical that it hurt just to think some times.

It was nearing the early part of the evening when Ronald came back out of the kitchen and plopped on a barstool and dropped a dollar twenty-five for a can of pop. Rachel set it in front of him as he used the staff remote to turn up the TV.

"Good evening, I'm Angela Rosai of WBPN evening news. Today marks the eighth annual recycling drive to help clean up our good neighborhoods." The voice intoned professionally. Rachel glanced up at the TV as she scrubbed the counter, waiting for the time they could lock the doors.

"The event was special as our local superhero, Captain Eagle, joined us for much of the day entertaining children and leading the way by example."

Ronald clicked his tongue. "I don't know why Captain Eagle stays around here. I mean, he's been a native of Traverse City for a while now. Still, if I had superpowers that let me fly and mentally control birds of prey, I'd be knocking on the Justice League's door."

"Whatever," Bethany responded from where she was counting out her tips. "Captain Eagle said that superheroes should stay in their home towns and protect their citizens. I mean, we're not as bad as Gotham, nor do we have a big population like Metropolis, but we deserve a super to protect and to serve."

"What about you, Rachel?" Bethany said, turning to her. Rachel jerked out of her thoughts, and the confusion must have been evident on her face.

"What?"

"Where do you stand on superheroes?"

"Nothing really, they're just here. At least they're helping rather than blowing things up, " the dark-haired girl answered vaguely.

"Yeah, like that Legion of Doom I've read about online or those villains HIVE academy puts out," Ronald said.

"Ron, how many times have I told you not to make things up? There is no solid proof that some mercenary organization exists and Luthor Corp is not the Legion of Doom." Bethany scolded.

"There's proof on the internet if you'd bother to look."

"Sure, I'm going to believe a bunch of 17-year-old virgins who would rather make things up about supers than get laid." Bethany scoffed.

"Why are you describing your life?"

The bickering continued, and Rachel let it go. It was safe to stay away from conversations about superheroes. For the first year she was here, there was so much fear that the truth would come out, but nobody in Traverse city cared for much outside of their city limits let along the west coast.

The little bell rang, and the evening manager strolled in.

"Hey, Sam," Rachel said quickly. "Glad you made it. Got everything taken care of for you. Ron's just finishing up his break."

"Any call outs?" the older gentleman asked as he sat his lunch box on the counter.

"Nope, should be fully staffed."

"Nice. Have a great evening."

Excitedly, Rachel clocked out and left the building in a hurry. She did not want a conversation about superheroes anymore.

* * *

The bus ride to the dance studio was not too long but enough for her to calm herself down. It was so easy for Rachel to close her eyes and just imagine some peaceful lake. No strange mantra, no claws ripping at the back of her mind, no fear of-She shook herself. It had been months since she thought down those lines. That was a past that was becoming more distant as time went on. Rachel Adams was a normal girl, with regular friends, and a normal boyfriend. Nothing more.

The dance studio was a hole in the wall shop sandwiched between a deli and a mosque. The little neighborhood was quirky, but everyone got along with each other. She strode in and immediately was engulfed by strong arms and the strong smell of woody cologne.

"I missed you!" Chet said with a big grin. His scraggly blond goatee and beanie clashed with the dancing tunic he wore while young children between the ages of eight and fourteen were stretching and warming up.

"Got to get out of the shop before everything went crazy," Rachel said with a grin as she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Ewww!" one of the little girls moaned, and a parent along the wall chuckled at the little one.

"Go get changed," Chet said, pushing her gently towards the back room.

Rachel hurried back and stopped as she saw the large bouquet of roses. There was a little card attached to it. She read it with a sigh of loved annoyance.

_"To Rachel, I didn't know if you'd need flowers, so I got you some. - Chet"_

"You need to stop wasting money," Rachel called out of the room as she went behind the screen and stripped off the horrible colored uniform.

"It's never a waste on you!" he called back.

Chet, he was such a normal boyfriend.

The dance class was smooth, and the kids had a lot of fun. Rachel laughed quite a few times at Chet's ridiculous and dramatic twist as he taught ballet to a bunch of girls. Nobody could stand by the time they were done. Locking up the shop did not take long, and soon they were strolling down the dark street, illuminated by the orange street lights.

The wind had picked up a bite, but Rachel was snuggled into Chet's side using both his and her coat for warmth.

"You know what today is?"

Rachel ran it quickly through her head. "Uh….the 18th of October. We got Halloween coming up."

"No, silly," Chet laughed. "Today is the anniversary of when I first laid eyes on you at the halfway house."

It all came back roughly, the year of wandering from halfway house to halfway house, pretending to be homeless so that nobody would recognize her. It was Chet who stooped down and offered her a meal.

"Yeah, you asked me out for dinner ...like a pervert looking to drag a homeless girl into the back of your white van."

"Hey, in my defense, I didn't know I came off that way...and I ditched the white van just to get you to quit calling it the perv-mobile."

She had decided to go for the meal too scared to use one of her cards in case the black knight of Gotham had figured out her new accounts and was just waiting for a transaction. Rachel had been hungry, and she was pretty sure she could break his arm to get away if she needed to.

They turned down a street and opened the chained door to go up to the apartment they shared. When the door opened, she could smell the wax warmers giving the room a cinnamon smell and the slight dustiness of the books he had helped her collect.

Rachel flopped on the couch and kicked her feet up. A few minutes later, Chet showed up with a cup of tea, and the warm echinacea filled the air. She sipped it as he pulled her boots off.

"You spoil me, you know," Rachel said softly as she blew on her tea.

"Anything for my princess," he answered.

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do. You're the most precious girl I have ever met and deserve to be treated like a queen."

"I'm horrible."

"No, you are not. I've dated little girls you'd think were possessed by demons-"

He broke off as she stiffened.

"I'm sorry, dear, I slipped. I forgot you don't like the mention of anything religious or magic."

It had been three years. She could relax. Rachel smiled and reached out, pulling his face towards his. She kissed him and let the sensation carry her away. The kiss was missing something, but she was going to ignore that. This was her life now. This was her home.


	7. Chapter 7

Rachel yawned for the fourth time in the cold October morning and the steaming cup of coffee in the foam to-go cup was doing nothing to wake her up. It was a vile habit she picked up two years ago when she discovered that it was not so easy to wake up when you were not fueled by otherworldly things. It was supposed to be a busy day, so the young woman was hoping this would keep her going.

Traverse United University, a private school for elementary-aged children, had convinced Chet to lead a tour of the Music House Museum. It was one of the penalties for having a niece that went to school. Of course, Chet's other job had gotten in the way all of a sudden, and Rachel wound up being roped into taking fourteen students on tour.

Suffice to say, it was as miserable to get them there as anyone would have thought. An old friend would have called it as bad as, "herding the many of the felines in one direction." It was the older gentleman who came out to meet them that made Rachel sigh in relief.

"Is this the Traverse United University class?" he asked in a jovial voice, the slight smell of peppermint and tobacco wafting in their direction.

"It is," Rachel said breathlessly, "I think we're all here if I haven't lost count."

The man's eyes twinkled at her as he began expertly herding the excited, screaming children into the building.

"I assume you're not Chet Robinson?"

"Rachel Adams. Chet wound up having to work a shift today, and we couldn't disappoint the kids. Some of them are claiming to be aspiring musicians."

"You brought them to the right place. Don't worry. Missy and I are very good with the kids. You just watch the rear of the troop, and we'll handle everything else."

There was a lot about music. A lot that Rachel had not known. It was not like she had ever had an opportunity or interest in playing anything, but listening to their guides speak was intriguing. The hall was grand and spacious, with glass cases holding instruments from different eras. There were even a few that the kids each got to try - to the delight of many.

The young woman was glad everything was going smoothly. All that was left was finishing the tour, get them back on the bus, and then collapse at home when they were back in the hands of the private school.

It was the sound of breaking glass outside that caught her attention. She brushed the dark curls away from her left ear and strained to listen. The breaking sound happened again.

_I need to stay with the children,_ she thought to herself, but a cry caused her to turn away from the group. Finding the side door to the alley was a lot easier than Rachel thought it was going to be in the maze of instruments and shelves.

Rachel shoved the door open harder than she meant to and stumbled out into the alley. She found herself between five nasty looking thugs and a bloody woman in a security guard outfit in the middle. Adrenaline coursed through her body, bringing a tremble to her hands. Instinct kicked in as she quickly scanned the alley.

_Five targets, one civilian, no backup,_ she found her saying in her head while the other side of her was screaming to just turn around and walk back in.

"Well, well, well... we have a guest," the scarred one said with a laugh as he slung the tire iron over his shoulder.

"Just wanted to make sure everyone was okay," Rachel tried to say coolly as she placed her hand on the security guard's shoulder, "how about I just take her back inside for a bit of a drink and cool down, and you boys carry on? What you were doing seems more interesting."

"Whatchu know of it? You been spying, you little bitch?" another one said, who looked so thin his clothes hung loose.

"All I'm trying to say is that I don't want any trouble, and you all can carry on with whatever you were doing," Rachel said, gripping the woman's shoulder and trying to help her up.

It was one of the others that blindsided her. He struck the side of her head, and sent her sprawling into the wall against the dumpster. Pain exploded through her head as Rachel's world swam around. She could make out their laughter as they approached her.

"We ain't gonna kill ya, pretty," the leader was saying, "we gonna have a bit of fun and leave you in the ditch. Least we can do for you."

Rachel tried to pull herself up but found the wall was the only thing steady.

"Miss Adams?"

'_Oh, shit. The children!'_

Seven of them had funneled out and froze in horror at the scene in front of them.

"Go back inside," Rachel coughed out, but one of the criminals slammed the door shut, blocking them out.

"_No!"_

Rachel closed her eyes and groped around, finding a broom that had lost its brushes. She gripped it tightly as her only weapon.

"They just kids, Jack," one of the men was saying.

"They're called 'witnesses', ya fucking idiot," the other responded.

Rachel opened her eyes as a wave of seething anger shot through her body. The shaking of the adrenaline stopped, and her vision had become sharp with rage. No one threatened children.

'_Remember, you cannot leave yourself open. Your only advantage is your speed.'_ his voice flowed through her mind as if he was standing there with her, as if this was yet another training session. She could smell his cologne, her rhythmic breathing, and the touch of his gloved had on her own.

'_I've taught you basics with the bo-staff, but I actually think some moves with Arnis and Eskrima sticks will suit your dancing much better.'_

'_I told you not to bring that up,' Raven scolded him, though she did not mean it. 'You walked into my room unannounced.'_

'_I apologized. I got distracted and thought I was in mine.'_

'_I could have just gotten out of the shower.'_

'_That's a thought.'_

"Whatcha doing, pretty girl?"

Rachel cracked the sticks in half on her knee and swooned a bit as she got her footing. They felt balanced in her hands like she was taught.

"I think she's gonna fight us," the other laughed.

As one of them reached for her, she could have sworn she could feel Robin's hands on her hips.

'_Let me show you how to move.'_

The pieces of broken broom handle swung out, catching the man on his arm. The bone cracked from the perfect placement while the other one struck his throat, dropping him gurgling to the floor. The world blurred as her body moved through the attacks and parries, dodges, and strikes like a lethal dance. She could barely make out the children cheering as each assailant collapsed. All she could feel was Robin's hands on her hips, his breath on her neck, the closeness of his skin against hers. He had violated her personal bubble in this training, and all she could think about was him violating it further.

The world slowly came back to Rachel as she stood there with a stick in each hand, sucking in the clean air that was blowing through the alley now. There were sounds of excited kids, the moans of the barely conscious. She felt the blood running down her hands and her face as she tried to focus. The fury coursed through her like an unrelenting flood. It was the sound of kid's gasps that made Rachel turn around, ready to strike, but found her facing the extended hand of a man she would have never thought she would see.

_Doctor Light._

He stood there, a scrawny old scientist in his black suit covered with the armor and technology of his light generated pulse cannons. She brandished the sticks in her hand and screamed in rage at him, ready to pounce no matter the cost.

"You're not afraid of a bit of light?" he joked as he stepped back, not giving her room to strike.

"Not anymore," Rachel seethed at him under her breath, "are you still afraid of the dark?"

He froze and for a second, she thought he figured out who she was. He could feel her intensively studying every facet of her face, but his mind was not ready to accept.

"No, it couldn't be you. I have what I came for, little woman, and you earned your freedom. Take the children and leave. I have much more to do than to play."

With that, the jet pack on his back ignited, and he took to the sky, clutching a bag of cash in his hands.

Rachel turned to the kids as the side door burst open, and the old man came through. He looked around, horrified, as he began to dial 911 on his phone.

"You were amazing, Miss Adams!" the fourteen-year girl cried excitedly as she hugged the blood and sweat-soaked woman.

"Let's….let's just get inside. I need to sit down."

* * *

It was morning in Jump City when Richard Grayson jerked out of his sleep. He found that he had passed out over the notes of his case yet again, still wearing his Nightwing costume. It looked like someone had taken the time to cover him with a blanket, though.

It was actually the screaming of terror and anger that had awoken him, and he bolted out of his room, almost taking down Starfire, who was charging toward the common room. They burst in to find Beast Boy and Cyborg staring in shock at the crimson hooded figure that was clawing at the glass window facing east.

Raquelle of Scathe was shrieking that terrifying blood-curdling screech that made their hair all stand on end. Nightwing had done enough research over the three years to recognize the call of a demon.

"Raquelle!" Nightwing called, pulling out a gem from around his neck and gripping it. The four brilliant red eyes set in a beautiful dusky red face snapped in his direction. Even the base of the short antlers coming from her forehead was flushed with whatever energy she was feeling.

Her eyes lowered to the gem in his hand; she stopped and stepped away from the window.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whispered at the deep scraps in the bulletproof glass.

"What's going on?" Nightwing asked, approaching firmly. He could feel his friends worry, even though the demon who had been living with them for three years was not unusual.

"I...I heard her," Raquelle growled in a low melodic octave. The red of magic vanished from her eyes, showing the four pink feline eyes that looked back. The purple stood out against the red of her skin.

"Heard who?"

Raquelle seemed to be struggling for words as the side of her that could speak English had left with Raven so many years ago. Teaching a demoness how to speak English was a challenge that she still had not grasped.

"_Rash'Kal,"_ she said, motioning roughly at the window, "I heard the blood cry of my _Rash'Kal_."

Nightwing knew that word. Her other half with the suffix of closeness. Yeah, he had to learn their language as much as Raquelle had learned theirs.

"You heard Raven?"

One short nod.

"How?" Starfire asked cautiously, "she has been missing for many years now. We have not been able to locate her."

"I...I heard her….." Raquelle pounded on her chest.

"Heart."

"YES!" she hissed, instantly crossing the distance from the window right in front of Nightwing. God, he hated when she did that, but he stood his ground as she whispered into his ear like she always did when talking about his old love.

"Her heart beats with my blood still. I heard her vengeance, her hatred, her horror scream across the void."

"Can you track it?"

Raquelle turned away to stare sullenly out the window where the sun was already high.

"She is silent now."

"Ummm...Nightwing?" a young woman in a pink dress and holding her umbrella in a defensive position said, pointing to the comm panel. It was blinking with the frequency information of the Justice League.

Nightwing nodded as Cyborg hit the button and activated the viewscreen. Batman and Zatanna came into view, awaiting some greeting.

"It's about Raven, isn't it?" Nightwing asked, folding his arms across his chest. He saw the imperceptible start from Batman, though Zatanna made up for it.

"How did you know?" she asked, shocked.

"Raquelle just went berserk," Beast Boy said, still keeping his distance. He would for a few hours before the two would be sitting side by side playing video games.

"What did you find?" Nightwing asked.

"A few things. There was a video uploaded to MeScreen," Batman said, activating a smaller portion of their own view that showed a young woman in a blue skirt and blouse make mincemeat out of five thugs.

"You recognize the moves?"

Nightwing had actually recognized the curve of her hips and the slender neck before the eskrima moves registered. The problem was that her skin was white and her hair in dark, shoulder-length curls. Raven had straight hair of a lovely violet. When the thugs were done, the girl's head snapped to the side to look at what appeared to be a school child filming the violence. The jaw, bloodied and bruised, the slope of her nose.

"Rash'Kal," Raquelle murmured in his ear, having appeared right beside him.

"There are many girls that looked like her. I've already...caused enough issues pursuing this,"

Nightwing could see the nod of respect from his old mentor after the fiasco two years ago in Houston, Texas.

"I would agree, but we got a message just a few minutes ago from the citizen's tip line for the League."

Batman pressed a button on a panel out of view as a voice wavering, yet strong, came across.

"Hi! This message is for the Justice League. Doctor Light is in Traverse City, Michigan. I recognized him from...the police reports and news broadcast. I don't know what he's doing here, but I thought you should know."

The automated voice of the computer continued. "Voiceprint recognized."

The picture of Raven when she was first inducted into the Teen Titans appeared in the corner.

"It's her, Nightwing," Zatanna said quietly, "and she's in Traverse City."


	8. Chapter 8

Even after a week of healing and constant ministrations from her boyfriend, Rachel's face still showed a bit of the purple from the assault at the music hall. The swelling had shrunk to the point that it was only noticeable if you had stopped to study her face.

Rachel had spent that week, when she was able to move, decorating the dance studio for Halloween as Chet had always threw a big party for the students and opened the doors for the trick or treaters who would be coming down the street.

Ever since the phone call to the Justice League, the young woman tried to put the thoughts of Doctor Light out of her mind. The life that she knew him in was dead and gone. She had to focus on her new life with Chet and being normal. Though it still bothered her.

"Miss Adams!"

Rachel turned to see a young teenage girl running in her direction. Though only fifteen, Daphne Saunders was tall and could have quickly passed as seventeen or eighteen. She wore a big grin that was never far from her face, and she promptly spun in place, showing Rachel her clothes. She was wearing a blue shirt and skirt while holding two wooden rods under her arms.

"Whatcha think of my costume?"

"Who are you supposed to be?" Rachel laughed, getting off the step ladder and leaving the last part of the word 'Halloween' dangling in front of the door.

"I'm you! When you kicked those guy's ass! You know you're famous!"

Unfortunately, one of the kids had uploaded the video of her fight to a video sharing platform. Chet told her she had gone viral, of course, after he got over the shock of seeing the video.

"I didn't know you could fight like that!" he had exclaimed after admonishing himself for not being there.

Even Captain Eagle, the Traverse City superhero stopped by, and she insisted that she wanted no more publicity. The kind man had promised to keep everything to a minimum. He did to her relief.

"I did what I had to do, Daphne."

"Can you teach me to fight like that?"

She did not have a chance to answer as the first bunch of kids burst through the door, laughing and screaming at the decorations and candy. There were so many colorful costumes of so many designs. Rachel felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulder, and she turned to see Chet dressed up in a red denim shirt, overalls, and a fake axe on his shoulder.

"When are you going to get your costume on?" he asked.

Rachel raised an eyebrow and looked him over.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Paul Bunyan."

"I don't think Paul Bunyan is supposed to be so scrawny." Rachel cracked.

He laughed and leaned in for a kiss. She only had a moment before a child groaned, and she quickly broke away.

"It's Halloween. No kissing, Miss Adams," the nine-year-old scolded.

Chet hurried them off towards the punch bowl as the families came in and greeted each other. Rachel swallowed the urge to run. She had promised to be more social in her new life, even though the anxiety of so many people was overwhelming at times. Knowing Chet was nearby helped.

Rachel was about to move towards the punch table herself when a bunch of children rushed passed her, and one little girl hid behind her peering around her legs. Rachel looked down with a smile, but it froze on her face. She recognized Emily, one of the dance students, but she was wearing a black unitard and a blue cape and hood over her shoulder. Rachel could see the little red, plastic gem stuck to her forehead.

"Come on, Raven! We need to beat the HIVE!"

The cold chills shot up her spine as the little girl darted to her brother and his friends. They stood there dressed in cheap Halloween costumes, but she recognized who they were.

"You can't beat the Teen Titans, HIVE!" George, dressed as Robin, shouted.

Trying not to allow her legs to shake, Rachel decided to move towards a seat as five other children dressed in the costumes of the HIVE stepped out. One girl with the cheap pink wig and black dressed pointed at the faux Robin with a laugh.

"You can't stop the mistress of bad luck, Bird brain. HIVE! Attack pattern Alpha!"

And then the candy started flying. Multi-colored plastic balls, darts, and foam flew at the two teams as they mocked battle, but it did not last long as the parents quickly broke them up.

'_By Azar, that...that was too much.'_

No matter what she did, there was no way to escape the past, was there? The little girl looked like Jinx and even sounded like Jinx. Rachel's breath caught in her throat. How did the girl know about the attack command? It was not like their battles were recorded.

As the girl came over, Rachel smiled weakly.

"Hey! I love your costume."

"Thank you!"

"Where did you learn that phrase, by the way?" Was the question nonchalant enough?

"Oh! The lady in the back who is filling the punch bowls. She taught it to me!"

It was like an ice dagger being shoved through her heart as the little girl skipped away with her mom. Rachel could not move, could not breathe, could not turn her head to look. She and Chet were the only ones working here today, and they did not get help. There was not supposed to be any woman filling punch bowls.

'_No, no, no, no, no, NO! FUCK NO!'_

Rachel looked at the door. If she started running now, it would take time for them to figure out where she was going. Maybe she could get out of the city and disappear again. Chet moved towards the door to let in more kids as a pang of worry and guilt coursed through her.

She would have to leave him at _her_ mercy. Looking towards the backroom door, Rachel stood shakily and began to make her way to the door. She scooped up the baseball bat they kept in the corner. If she was quick enough, Rachel might get her before she knew it.

Rachel pushed the flimsy door open to the back room and paused as her eyes adjusted to the dark. The white folding tables with the extra punch making materials and bags of half drained candy piled around, but she did not see anybody. She took another step in when she caught the scent to her right. Blueberries.

The hand was like an iron grip on her wrist, and she let the bat go out of surprise. Rachel felt spun around, and the hot, familiar, smooth lips planted on her own. Rachel inhaled the delicious scent of the perfume and the scent of Jinx. It was so familiar yet so invasive. The woman released her, and Rachel stumbled back, trying to put distance between the two.

It was Jinx. There was no way of mistaking those pink eyes that looked at her like a predator cornering her prey. She wore a dark hoodie that covered her hair and jeans instead of her trademark dress and leggings.

"No, oh god, no," Rachel choked out, her eyes wide with terror.

"Hello, Raven," Jinx cooed softly.

Rachel's eyes went to the bat, and Jinx followed. A frown crossed Jinx's face.

"Rae, I'm not here to hurt you," Jinx said cautiously. "I'd thought you'd realize we're past that."

"I...I don't know what to think right now. And don't call me Raven. She died three years ago."

"She looks alive...and delicious to me."

Jinx took another step forward, and Rachel stepped back. The frown on the pinkette's face deepened.

"Raven...er...Rachel. I'm not here to give you away or drag you back."

"Why are you here?" the girl asked, trying not to lose her voice.

"Well, I was hoping to steal you for myself," Jinx joked. "But I see you've shacked up with someone. He's cute. Nice butt."

"Leave him alone!" Rachel squeaked.

Jinx stepped back and sat slowly into one of the folding chairs.

"This isn't how I expected this to go," Jinx murmured perplexed.

"Did you think I was going to run away with you or something?"

"No, but I didn't think you'd treat me like the enemy. Not after all that shit with Nocturnus."

Raven slowly lowered her own trembling body into a chair, and the two women stared across at each other.

"I...I had an accident," Rachel started.

"I know, Ibraham told me a bit of it," Jinx shrugged. "I didn't expect you to take off running, though. I'd have taken you in."

"I...had to go." Rachel's eyes dropped towards the floor.

"Ah. Well, I guess I can understand the need to flee. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were in your situation."

Silence reigned again as only the din of the children, muffled by the walls, filled the room.

"Why are you here?" Rachel asked again, this time more steady with her voice.

"Well, two reasons. I wanted to see if I could recruit you as a HIVE specialist."

"What?" Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You might not have your magic anymore, but you still have all that knowledge and experience. I wanted to see if I could recruit you as a freelance specialist. Our teams send you data at times, and you give them your expert opinion. Pays pretty solid, and you don't have to be in the field."

"Me? Work for the HIVE?"

"It's better money than a cupcake cafe or whatever the hell you call it."

The HIVE. The lure of the supernatural, the world of the heroes and villains. She had stayed out of it for so long, but the siren song was calling to her.

"I don't know. I...I wanted all of that to die with the demon side of me."

"Um ...sorry to break it to you, gal, but your demon side didn't die."

Rachel's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Yeah, bird brain trained her up and domesticated your demon half. She's now Raquelle of Skath, and she fights with the Titans."

So, she was replaced. Rachel's heart dropped a bit more. Robin did find a way to replace her. She could not even imagine how furious he would have been and how satisfying it was to replace Rachel completely.

"I see."

"That reminds me of the second thing."

"What?"

"The Titans know you're in Traverse City. They'll be here tomorrow."

The fear returned, the desire to run as far as possible. Rachel breathing began to come in short gasps as she stared at the ceiling, trying to think of what to do. She felt the soft hand on her knee and the presence in front of her. The girl's head shot down to see Jinx kneeling in front of her with a smile.

"Shhh, it'll be okay. I see you've been blessed with a full range of emotions now."

"They're shitty to have," Rachel choked out between the tears. The pinkette gently wiped them away.

"I'm here, sweetie, everything is going to be okay."

That was too much. Rachel burst into tears and threw her arms around the pinkette and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Listen, you come with me. I've got a safe house in Traverse city that's not on any of the goody-two-shoes' radar. You can lay low until they give up and leave. They're only here to investigate Doctor Light. Once he's defeated, they won't have any excuse to remain. Then we can talk about where to go from there."

Rachel pulled gently away as Jinx reluctantly let her go. The crying girl tried to rub the tears away.

"I can't leave Chet," Rachel said. "He's been the kindest man to me, and I can't just run away."

There was a small spark of iron in Jinx's eyes, but it faded.

"Well, we can find a use for the boy toy. How much does he know?"

"Nothing. All he knows is I was some runaway he found and rescued on the streets."

"Men are so easy to win over," Jinx chuckled. "Well, the big thing is to stay out of the reach of your ex-boyfriend."

"How...how is Robin?"

"He goes by Nightwing now," Jinx grunted, helping Rachel back to her chair.

"And it did not go so well. After he lost track of you in Los Angeles, he spent the next year and a half terrorizing any town he thought you were in. I have never seen such an enraged individual."

Jinx pulled back her collar to show a thin scar behind under hear ear gracing the side of that lovely neck.

"I had a run-in with him. Dude knows how to inflict pain."

Rachel's hand went instinctively to her mouth with eyes wide.

"Shhhh," Jinx said with a smile. "He was in a dark place. I survived, and the bat gave him a sound thrashing. He's made it up to me since then."

"Made it up to you?"

Jinx's eyes twinkled. "He might be a decent torturer, but I know how to humiliate. We're even now."

Jinx stood and looked towards the door.

"Your boyfriend is going to notice you're missing and come looking for you. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to carry on with my life," Rachel said. "I'm going to pretend this encounter never happened."

A pang of hurt caressed Jinx's eyes, but Rachel gave a half-smile.

"but I might be able to advise someone once in a while. Chet and I are thinking of refurbishing the dance studio, and we'll need money. Don't earn much on our paychecks."

Jinx grinned.

"Deal. You keep your head down, and I'll make it my mission to keep the Titans away from you."

"Thanks, but why are you doing this?"

Rachel studied Jinx's eyes but saw the message written there. The loving look was all Rachel needed to know the motivation of protecting her and keeping Robin away.

"I may not be able to have you," Jinx whispered huskily. "but at least you're in my life again, and I only have to share with one other person."

With that, the pinkette disappeared out the back door and into the ally.


	9. Chapter 9

The breeze in Traverse City was much colder than Jump City. Nightwing could feel the air burn his nostrils, giving him the sense they would freeze if he sucked in too much. The snow had already puddled in the shadows where the sun of the afternoon could not get it, and the little white flurries threatened to turn into a deluge around him.

Unlike the home of the Titans, Traverse did not have the high-rise buildings that gave it a unique skyline. Most of the buildings were seven to eight stories and flat. It was a small city, for sure. At the moment, though, a Wayne Enterprises limo was waiting for them at the airport. It had whisked them to a hotel room in the tallest building that the Justice League had rented out as a base of operations.

Their primary mission was to figure out what Doctor Light was doing. Raven was his second, assuming he would even be allowed to look for her. His dark mentor had not told him where Rachel Roth was as a "go get her" but as a warning to stay the course. Nightwing did not even know how he felt about knowing she was close again. The wounds left by her departure had become so dull, it was easy to ignore. If he genuinely wanted to be honest with himself, he had begun to forget her at times, something Ibraham said was a sign of moving on. Now, she was again close, and he did not know what to think or feel.

Turning his back to the cold night, Nightwing made his way back into the warm light of the large hotel room and closed the sliding glass door behind him. The large table in the center had all the computers hooked up, and information had begun to feed through. Starfire was seated at the table with her computer tablet playing "CrazyKitty," while Cyborg was finishing up the connections. Beast Boy was fishing around the fridge and not happy with the fact it was not stocked. Pink Phantom was lying on top of the covers of the bed in her pink jumpsuit with closed parasol leaning in the corner. She was snoring, not used to the long hours the Titans operated.

The blue crusader looked around, realizing he had not seen the other member of his team, the one he should be paying attention to. Raquelle was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm right here," she whispered into his ear. He started as he felt her breath on his neck.

There was no use scolding the demoness about sneaking upon him. Nightwing had come to the conclusion that Raquelle did not know she was doing it.

"No running off," he said to her.

"No running off," she mimicked then meandered over towards the kitchenette where Beast Boy had found some crackers and juice.

"Alright, that'll do it," Cyborg said, straightening and flicking the last few switches to a server. "We should have a direct connection to the JLA's computer system. We should be ready for anything Doctor Light throws at us."

"I'm impressed that he's outside of Jump City," Zatanna said, coming from another room. She had another tablet with the frosted logo of the Justice League on the back. "I would never have considered him more than a local nuisance."

"Agreed," Nightwing nodded. "But if he's here, he's up to something, and he may have funding."

The door to the hotel room banged open, and he caught the bright pink hair and underneath the hoodie and the svelte form coming in. She slammed the door and tried to shake the cold off.

"Well, the money's not coming from the HIVE," Jinx said, peeling the hoodie off. Nightwing caught a glimpse of the smooth skin of her soft stomach and quickly looked away. He was not going down that road again.

She fluffed up her hair and adjusted the ties, which gave her the familiar horseshoe shape that he associated with her. They made eye contact, but her pink eyes quickly dropped to the floor and over to Zatanna.

"I confirmed with my contacts. No active HIVE contracts with him," she continued moving over and swiping the juice out of Beast Boy's hand. Jinx was about to drink it when she thought better of it. Raquelle had moved closer, and they could hear her subtle growl in the back of the demoness throat.

"I am aware that the Justice League has allowed the HIVE to be aware of our operation, but that does not grant you the permission to just barge in, Jinx," Zatanna warned.

"Actually," Jinx said with a grin as she plopped on the bed, bouncing Pink Phantom and causing her to start. "Traverse City is HIVE territory, and the big guy in red and blue isn't ready to start a war with us. You're here with our permission. So, that gives me the right to be here."

"It's beside the point," Nightwing said, breaking off the rest of the conversation before it started a faction war. "We need to get the patrols started. I've already spoken to Captain Eagle, and our plan is a go. The Titans are going to be making a 'PR' stop here to draw attention while HIVE and the rest start moving. Hopefully, us being here will throw him off and get him to make a mistake."

There was a chorus of agreements in different levels of exhaustion, so he shook his head and motioned to the beds, and bedrolls were thrown about.

"But first, let's get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

* * *

Of course, he snuck out. Nightwing had waited till everyone was asleep, and he escaped quickly off the balcony. It posed little challenge for his training under the dark knight himself. The wind pulled at his hair as he ran silently across the rooftops and jumped the gaps. He was not heading anywhere specifically. He just wanted to get an idea of the city and watch the nightlife. The town was tranquil in the dark hours, and the streetlights, for the most part, only illuminated empty circles of light and a few homeless here and there.

He finally landed on a flat roof by the side street, and the soft crunch of the gravel echoed gently off the two taller buildings it stood in between. Nightwing slowly walked over to the edge and peered over. This street was a bit busier as the bars were turning out their last patrons.

Nightwing sincerely doubted he would just run into Raven or whatever her new name was. The emotions were running through him since the discovery was confusing and distressing. He had started moving on with his life assuming she would not return. He had given her two years and endless searching before he stopped. Now, she was back, and, in a way, he was irritated at that.

He had run so many emotions. Anger, fear, hatred, yet more anger. He had gone down a dark road looking for her that only was stopped because of his friends. He had even agreed to see a counselor about it, also though it was Ibraham, the djinn that was responsible for Richard's heartache.

He was ready to move on, prepared to see what the future held and the specter of the girlfriend who vanished was back. Nightwing was not even sure if he still loved her. He cared for her, Richard knew that, but there was a lot of damage done and the damage he was still healing from.

Nightwing felt the breath on his neck first and had no chance to react; the arms snaked around him, pinning his own to his sides. The blue crusader heard the sultry giggle and hissed in his ears.

"You ran off. You're naughty."

_Raquelle._

He tried to turn, but she refused to let him go. For a split second, fear coursed through him when he realized he could not reach the binding charm around his neck. Nightwing felt Raquelle rest her chin in the nape of his neck.

"Do you search for her?"

"No," he answered, trying to calm his breathing. Even for the years, he had worked with this demoness; she was still unpredictable.

"You shouldn't lie. It's unbecoming." She parroted at him something he used to say to her in the earlier years.

"I'm not lying. I just wanted to get a feel of the city. I don't know how I feel about her, Raquelle."

Her arms loosened around him, and he felt her press her body up against his back, and the crimson cape engulfing him.

"I smell her on the wind. It is like a delicious aroma that I cannot get enough of, but I cannot find where it comes from." She continued as a murmur in his ear. "She is delicious, but I can never have a bite. The Raven is delicious, yes?"

The memories of Raven's lips against his, the night at Wayne Manor, where their bodies mingled for the first time. The scent of her skin. It all hit him hard, tearing an ache in his heart and a surge of anger. He felt Raquelle press that mouthful of sharp, serrated teeth against his shoulder like tiny little needles just waiting to puncture his skin.

"I don't want to talk about it, Raquelle," he said firmly.

"I am so hungry," she hummed as the nibbles moved up his shoulder and rested on his neck.

Nightwing quickly calculated the date and breathed a sigh of relief that he had not miscounted. She was not supposed to go in heat anytime soon. The amount he had to learn about demonesses was more than he ever wanted to learn.

"Do you feel like a part of you is missing?" Nightwing asked.

Raquelle stopped and then released him. The blue crusader blinked and found her standing beside him, looking out over the city.

"I feel like myself, but I feel like a part of me is not here," she said without looking at him. Her hood was up, but he could see the small antlers poking out.

"Do you want to find her?"

"Do you want to find her?" she mimicked softly.

"I don't know."

"I do not know either. If I find her, will I still be me?"

Neither had the answer to that.


	10. Chapter 10

No matter what Chet said, she looked like an idiot. Rachel had been surprised by her manager at the Scrumptious Cupcake that she would be taking Bethany and Ronald to the outdoor event in the great downtown. The city had closed off Main Street in a Halloween celebration for trick or treat. It was one of the reasons why Chet had decided to do an earlier party at the studio. Now, Rachel was in her assigned spot serving cupcakes to the crowd as hundreds of children and their parents made their way to each spot.

"Why oh why did I volunteer for this?" Bethany moaned.

"For the overtime, " Ronald responded as he scrolled through his phone bored. "We just have to give out cupcakes to the little monsters and then go home."

"Wanna boy watch?" Bethany asked in Rachel's direction.

"No," Rachel responded as she was pulling out the next set of cupcakes from the carrier.

"We wouldn't want her to beat them up," Ronald smirked.

Rachel glared at him. Of course, he found the video footage.

Bethany folded her arms across her chest. "You want me to find you a broom so you can beat the hell out of him?"

Rachel ignored the two and went back to unpacking the baked goods. Her mind was still in the whir about Jinx and the fact that the Titans were coming. It had been three days, and the girl had not seen any sign of the pinkette or her ex-team. It had been years, and Traverse City was huge.

A little internet search, Rachel had found footage of her replacement. The crimson cloak, the rather vicious fighting style, was a demoness but it appeared to obey the black and blue-clad warrior who could be none other than Richard Grayson.

It was the first time she had laid eyes on him since that day she ran out of the tower angry. Rachel shoved down the emotions that bubbled up, threatening to take her breath away. She had spent way too long studying his face. He seemed older, his face more chiseled and rough. His hair was much longer, and it appeared he had dropped the use of so much hair gel.

His eyes. His eyes seemed to still be kind in the quick interviews he would give to bloggers or cell phone footage. It was the little splash of water on her laptop that had made her realize her eyes were full of tears.

Rachel still loved the man who had been her teammate for so many years and had fought to keep her alive against Nocturnus. She knew two years after she had left that running away was the wrong idea, but the damage had been done, and the bridge had been burned. There was no going back. She was a plain old, weak human who had no business being with super heroes.

"I hate when people start to fucking shout," Ronald said pocketing his phone.

Ronald's voice brought her out of her revelry. She went to turn to scold him for opening his stupid mouth but Rachel realized there was a lot of cheering going on. The ex-titan scanned the audience looking to find the reason.

"What's going on?"

Bethany had come back in a flushed run. "One of the Titans is here! I heard they had come to the city with Captain Eagle to help celebrate Halloween!"

One of the titans. Dread sunk into Rachel's stomach as she began to search the crowd panicking. She had to exit, to get out of there before they spotted her. Rachel doubted they would recognize her now with her full head of dark hair but that was not a risk she was willing to take.

"Damn! Look at those legs!" Ronald said with a whistle.

Rachel's eyes shot to where Ronald was looking and coming through the parted crowd, with a beaming smile was none other than the orange-skinned Tamaranian herself. Rachel spun on her heel and ducked toward their delivery vehicle that was parked next to them praying to any god who would hear her that Starfire did not see her. A quick peek saw that she had been more focused on the cupcakes than those around them.

"Oh! What lovely cups of cake! May I have one?" her voice asked gleefully.

"Of-of course!" Ronald stuttered. "What type would you like?"

"Do you have any that have the chocolate in them?"

Ronald stumbled a few times, trying to pick it up, but Bethany scooped it and handed it to her with a giant grin.

"You're Starfire, right?"

"That I am!" Starfire said through a mouthful of cupcake. "You have such a lovely city here, and this is delicious."

"I am SO excited to meet you! I am a HUGE fan," Bethany gushed. Rachel wanted to silence her, but she would have to leave her hiding spot, and nothing was going to pry her out of it.

"I am pleased. Do you wish an autograph or picture? Beast Boy tells me that is what fans like."

A ghost of a smile crossed Rachel's face. Starfire was still the sweetest thing on the planet. She may have had the strength to tear through buildings, but it had always been tempered with her loving nature.

"YES!" Bethany screeched, struggling to get her cell phone out.

The next few minutes were a mixture of gushing and picture taking with Starfire being as patient as she always was.

"Thank you for such a wonderful time, my friends, but I must get back to the mingling," Starfire said with a wave.

With her gone, Rachel stepped out with a sigh.

"Where were you?" Ronald asked, suspiciously. "We just had a celebrity here."

"Who?" Rachel feigned as she put another box of cupcakes out.

"None other than Starfire of the Teen Titans!" Bethany said loudly, shoving the phone with the pictures in front of her.

"Oh. I think I've heard of them."

If she kept pretending to be disinterested, the whole thing would pass.

"Well, I'm going on a break to see if I can go find her," Ronald said. "I didn't get a picture with her."

"Can I go?" Bethany begged.

"Go."

There was a better chance she would keep the Tamaranian away, and she would not be found. The two took off, and Rachel sighed. It was good to see Starfire again. The young woman had grown a few inches taller and filled out into a gorgeous young lady. Her eyes still smiled, and her laugh was infectious as it always was. It was good to see her old friend was doing well.

"Excuse me, but is it possible to buy a dozen of your cakes in a cup?"

Rachel's eyes shot up from the cupcakes and locked with the green pair looking at her. Starfire stood right in front of her, with that smile that always was present. Rachel could not speak, could not breath.

"Uh-" she tried to get out.

"The cups of cake. They were very delicious, and I wish to take some to my friends who were not able to come to this wonderful celebration." Starfire explained, holding out the wallet. "I just do not know how much they are as Earth money still confuses me."

Did she not recognize her? Did she change that much? Rachel was happy and irritated at the same time.

"Please. Take them for free," Rachel choked out through dry lips. "A gift for the heroes who are visiting."

"You do not have too! Robin-um-Nightwing says we should not prey on the love of our fans."

"Please, it'll make the owner of the cafe happy." Rachel said. She just wanted this to end before a glimmer of recognition happened.

"Well, thank you, miss-What is your name?"

"Daphne," Rachel lied.

"Thank you, Miss Daphne. I appreciate your kindness. You are a wonderful person. I would be happy to have you as a friend."

With that, Starfire turned and glided through the air away from the party.

Rachel Adams sat down, trembling. That was too close. She had to stay away from the public while they were here. She couldn't have a close call like that again.

* * *

Nightwing looked up from his computer when the door to the hotel opened. Starfire strode with a spark in her eye but no other expression. She set down a large white box with a rather gaudy looking cupcake drawn on it and took one out. She offered it to him.

"How did the patrol go?" he asked , taking it and peeled away the paper.

"It went well. The Halloween celebration is in full swing. No sign of Doctor Light or anyone else. Captain Eagle and the police have everything locked down."

"He's not gonna try something with so many supers," Beast Boy said as he played the Station X console he had procured from somewhere. Cyborg, of course, was on the other controller. Their turn on patrol was not for some time.

"Anything else to report?" Nightwing asked ,taking a bit of the delicious cupcake.

"Yes," Starfire said ,handing him a bottle of water. "I saw Raven."

The only sound in the room was that of Nightwing choking on the cupcake. He quickly swallowed the water to save himself. Beast Boy and lunged over the couch while Cyborg landed beside him.

"Where is she?" Beast Boy asked.

"What did she say? Is she okay?" Cyborg asked.

"Where?" Nightwing asked ,standing.

"I shall not tell you, Robin," Starfire said pointedly ,and immediately Cyborg and Beast Boy took a step back. Nightwing himself stared at the woman who looked at him defiantly.

"Why?"

"She has not expressed any want to communicate with us," Starfire continued pulling a cupcake out and taking a nibble. "I surprised her ,and she pretended to not know who I was, so I played along. I do not wish for her to run away again. This is the closest we have been to finding her in years."

Nightwing slowly sat down ,and the others visibly relaxed. Before coming to Traverse City, Starfire had warned him that if he started acting "the fool" again, she would personally fly him back to Jump City and keep him there. Those green eyes told him she would carry out the threat.

"Will you see her again?"

"I will find a way to make it look like an accident. I know how to find her," Starfire continued. "But you all must promise me not to try and find her yourself. We do not wish for her to be like the rabbit and disappear."

"I just want her back," Beast Boy muttered. "I miss it when she would read chapters from her books to me."

"When you sat down long enough. Plus, it's been difficult working on the T-Car without her. It would be nice to have a hand again."

"Come on, dude. Nothing we can do right now. Let's get back to our game."

The two Titans went back to their game ,and Starfire sat down across from their leader. She knew the conversation was not over. Nightwing tried to think about questions ,but his mind was so muddled knowing that the woman he loved was so close yet so far.

"How...how'd she look?"

"Human but a very beautiful one. She grew her hair out like she always said she'd like to try," Starfire responded softly.

"I...I want to see her, Kori."

"I know," she said ,reaching across and laying a hand gently on his. "but she is not ready to see you. You and her have had the Plekthor, the breaking of spirits. You are not the same and neither is she. We must not rush things."

"I don't want her to disappear again. I'm scared she'll just vanish," he whispered to her.

"I will do my best but she has chosen to leave and she wishes to still be separate. We must honor her wish but that does not mean we cannot gently coax her back."

"I trust you, Starfire. God knows that I have not treated you right since she and I got together."

Starfire smiled at that and ran the back of her hand along his mask covered cheek. "We have had our words years ago, my friend. I have forgiven you a hundred times for breaking my heart. You promised to obey me when it comes to Raven and I wish to hold you to your honor."

He nodded. As much as Nightwing hated it, he was going to have to follow her lead.


	11. Chapter 11

Rachel had called in sick for two days after her encounter with Starfire, scared to go out and be tracked down. Luckily for her that was Thursday and Friday which meant that she had a four day weekend with her boyfriend. Chet was rather entertained that she was at the dance studio, as a lot of the time their schedules did not allow them to spend much time together. It was Monday though and she had to go to work.

She checked out her horrible pink skirt and matching bow in the mirror and adjusted the name tag in the mirror. Anytime her mind strayed away from what she was doing, her heart would start to beat heavily and the anxiety ripped at her.

"It's going to be okay," Rachel murmured to herself. "They don't know where you live. They'll defeat Doctor Light and go back to California. It's all going to be okay."

"Of course everything is going to be okay," Chet said coming from the kitchen with a half-eaten granola bar in his hand. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "You look beautiful and you did not turn out as sick as you thought you were."

"Yeah."

"I mean, you were pretty green when you came home Thursday."

"Rough day."

Silence reigned for a few minutes and to her surprise, the embrace felt awkward. He must have sensed it as he withdrew his hands and hugged her gently around the shoulders.

"Sorry, Chet," she whispered. "I haven't been myself for a while."

"It's okay," the man responded with warmth in his voice. "If things in your life are changing, it's okay to let them come."

"But what if they bring bad things?"

"Does running away from it make it go away?"

Rachel rolled her eyes even though he did have a point. "Save the philosophy for the college students, ya goof."

Chet Robinson patted her shoulder.

"We're going to be okay, Rachel. No matter what happens. I'll always be there for you."

"I hope I can do the same for you."

There was a wistful look in his eyes that Rachel did not recognize but before she could respond, it vanished.

"Now, you need to get that cute fanny of yours to work," Chet said. "I can't lose my discount card cause you were sick."

The two exited the apartment and gave a quick kiss before going their opposite directions to work. Rachel hugged her purse close to her as she walked briskly trying to not look suspicious. Shadows from birds overhead made her jump worrying that it was Starfire scanning the streets or if the pigeon was green, the sign of Beast Boy.

Nothing on the streets looked out of place. The change though that threw her off was New Castle road that she took to the bakery. There were orange cones on the sidewalk and caution tape roping off the small street. A police officer looked up from his phone and greeted her with a smile.

"Sorry, Miss. Roads close. Main pipe exploded underground. Can't let anyone through."

Rachel Adams nodded mutely and continued down the road. A quick look at her own phone showed the map route she could take. Two streets down and an ally. The girl had made it at least halfway to her destination when a large blue ball of energy exploded from the alley and into the street. Gripping her purse and stepping back, Rachel saw five large men in body armor standing in the middle of the street looking around wildly.

"Which way? Which way?" one of them screamed in anger. The public around began to back away. It only took Rachel a second to see wires and energy conduits running through the armor and the futuristic weapons in their hands.

'_Doctor Light!'_ she thought. This had to be their henchmen.

"Lost, fools?" cackled a voice and rushing past her was a green bull which bowled into the first sending one of the henchmen sprawling into the street. His weapon fired a purple beam of light that shattered a nearby window. Energy weapons exploded around her as Rachel dove for cover behind the raised porch steps of an apartment complex.

She looked around wild as heroes and villains clashed in the street. The girl had recognized the bull form of Beast Boy which meant the rest of the Titans would not be that far behind.

Green beams of energy flashed from the sky as the fierce Tamaranian Princess descended upon the fighting. The blue form of Nightwing not that far behind with birdarangs exploding. Rachel had never been so terrified in her life. She had fought a number of battles like this but hunkered down listening to the screaming and the fighting sent waves of fear through her. She was just a human now and she was in the middle of an all-out war.

It was the tingle at the base of her neck that made Rachel re-focus. Her eyes were drawn forward to the blur of red that was descending into the fray with glee. It was as if she was looking in a mirror as the thin, leotard-clad form landed hard sending a shock wave away from her. It was like looking into a distorted reflection. It was her nose, her face shape, it was her but the skin was red and the four eyes glowed with a fiery yellow. Small antlers came out from the side of the black gem in the center of the creature's forehead. The teeth, they were razor sharp and serrated. A cute mouth with rows of deadly teeth. The demoness grinned at one of the henchmen who tried to flee. To Rachel's shock, this anti-Raven leaped with a demonic shriek, tackled the armored foe to the ground and began ripping at him like a wild beast tearing apart its prey. Pieces of metal and clothing went flying about as the individual screamed trying to getaway.

"Raquelle!" Nightwing warned as he ran by her, taking one of his eskrima sticks to the head of the distracted enemy.

Raquelle. That was its name. The thing huffed in frustration before giving the scared man on the ground a swift kick. The demoness took two bounds then froze.

'_no, no, no, no, no,'_ Rachel's inner voice screamed as it slowly turned it's head and locked all four eyes across the road onto Rachel's. The thing broke out into a slow, toothy grin.

Rachel covered her ears as a voice ripped through her mind.

'_I see you.'_

Rachel Adams ran. It was a blur but all she could remember was the scramble to get away and the running. She ran until she could no longer. Falling to her knees in an unknown part of Traverse City. The exhaustion had won over the terror and all she could do was drag herself to a public bench in the park she found herself in and sit down.

How? How did it know she was there? How did it even know who she was? It was like the demoness had looked straight through her and knew exactly who she was. Rachel shakily got her cell phone out of her purse to dial Chet. He had to come get her and she would make up some story.

Firey pain shot through her wrist holding the phone and she looked down to find her hand and the lower arm was engulfed in onyx/red energy. The terror surged back as the girl looked up to see the crimson cloak form hovering inches off the ground, the four molten eyes seering her from under the hood.

"No," Rachel whimpered.

The demon tilted it's head, like a predator amused by the mewing of its prey. The razor smile was present.

"I caught you," its voice said raspily. "You're mine, you're mine, you're MINE."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Rachel pleaded, hoping some way it would believe her lie. "Leave me alone."

The hellish figure draped in crimson cloak now hovered a mere foot away, leaning in closely. Rachel could feel her breath on her skin. It smelled of cinnamon and charcoal.

"I heard your scream," the creature said in a breathy whisper. "I heard the primal urge of blood and of war."

"I..I..."

Rachel closed her eyes, turning away from the four glowing ones that seemed to burn every part of her. She felt the sharp nail of its forefinger gently travel from her hairline, lazily down her face, behind her ear, and to her neck.

"The Robin desires you. The witch desires you. I desire you." it continued to purr. "But I have found you first and you are mine to do what I will."

"Please, just leave me alone."

"Why?"

"I want nothing to do with you."

"Why?"

"Because I want nothing to do with your kind."

"Why?"

Rachel's eyes snapped open and she locked with the ones looking down at her. The anger was seething inside again. Her words came out sharp and full of rage.

"Because I have spent all my life fighting against beasts like you and was glad to finally be rid of you."

The demon's hand dropped and disappeared under the cloak. its expression had changed from amusement to a blend of what looked like anger and hurt.

"Raquelle has no need for you, either," It said finally. "A waste of breath, a ghost of what could have been. You...you are simply a human. A spec that nobody cares about."

Tears welled up in Rachel's eyes as she forced herself to stand. She could sense the creature's burning hate now and she made sure this Raquelle could feel her disgust.

"Do what you want. I am free of you."

The hand appeared again, curved like a claw.

"I could kill you in such painful ways."

"How unoriginal."

"Raquelle."

The new voice came from their side and Rachel saw the demoness stiffen. The girl did not have to turn to recognize the bright sound with steel behind it.

"Nightwing is looking for you," Starfire said coolly. "Why don't you go back to the hotel and have some whiskey."

"Mmmm," the thing purred. The creature's eyes grew distant as it was thinking.

"Raquelle," Starfire said again. "Go."

The crimson form soared up into the sky and quickly vanished. The strength Rachel had failed and she tumbled towards the ground. She found herself caught up in Starfire's arms.

"Star," Rachel said weakly.

"There, there, Friend Raven. Just rest,"

Starfire's glowing hand on her forehead stole what little was left of her consciousness.

* * *

Murmuring. Talking. Rachel Adams started up in terror peering around the room for the demoness. Instead, she found that she was in her bedroom. The half-opened dressers spilling out Chet's clothes, the laundry basket in the corner reminding her to do the laundry. The room was cool and she was in her pajamas.

Had it been a nightmare?

"So, you actually create a warped bubble around you when you push faster than light?" Chet's voice came from the other side of the closed door.

"Oh, yes, but the traveling at the speed of light is not easy. It takes a lot of preparation and energy to do. Tamaranians try not to do it as it can tire us out."

That was Starfire...talking to Chet. Rachel pulled herself out of bed in a panic and charged for the door. She threw it open to see Starfire sitting on the couch with a coffee cup across from Chet.

"Rachel!" he said surprised. "You're awake."

"Yes," Rachel gasped.

"And….with no pants," he said amused.

It was at that moment, Rachel felt the draft on her bare legs. She quickly retreated to get a pair of pajama bottoms and returned.

"What...what's going on here?" Rachel asked, trying to gauge the situation.

"Miss Starfire here was telling me that you got caught in the middle of a battle and were knocked unconscious. She brought you home. She did not want to leave until you woke up and I've never gotten to talk to an alien before!"

Starfire giggled as she took a sip of her coffee. "Chet Robinson has been very kind allowing me to force myself into your abode but I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I...I'm better," Rachel said slowly sitting down. It appeared Chet had no clue of their history.

"That is most wonderful," Starfire said with a happy cry. "I am glad you are the better. It is rough when encountering the metas in battle. Unfortunately, Nightwing was unable to keep them contained away from the populace so I am sorry you were dragged into this."

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Chet said, noticing the time. "Rachel makes a mean pancake."

Starfire's eyebrows shot up. "Your Rachel is a good cook? I am very pleased. It is a skill one does not master easily."

Rachel's eyes narrowed.

"I tried cooking for you guys once," Rachel muttered so only Star could here.

"What was that, honey?" Chet asked as the Tamaranian's grin grew bigger.

"Nothing."

"I am so sorry but I must report back to our base as wonderful as the invitation is. I could not leave until I knew Rachel was unharmed."

"I appreciate it Star...fire. Can I show you out?"

"Of course!"

They went to the door and once out in the hall, Rachel found herself gripped in an inescapable bear hug. Before she could push away, Rachel was released.

"What was that for?"

"I have not hugged my best friend in three years, twenty-three days and two hours," Starfire said. "I felt this might be the only time I would be able to do it."

Rachel rubbed her shoulders with her head hung down.

"I'm...I'm glad to see you, Star,"

"And I you. I wish I could convince you to return to Titans Tower with me and be with us once more."

Rachel went to open her mouth but Starfire raised her hand.

"I know the request is a selfish one but my heart feels empty without you."

"We all miss you."

The voice came from behind her. Low and strong. Rachel grimaced forgetting Robin had trained them to work in pairs. The giant clanking and low humm told her who it was even before the heavy hand was put on her shoulder.

Rachel looked up into Cyborg's kind, dark eyes. He looked a bit older than she last remembered but the same quirked smile was there.

"Hi, Cyborg."

"Hi, Raven."

"Rachel," Starfire corrected.

"I...I have a lot of emotions," Rachel started. "In seeing you again. I'm sorry I can't put anything into words right now."

"You don't have to," Cyborg said. "Yes, we were caught by surprise when you left but you're still family, even if you don't want to come back."

"Cyborg and I just wanted you to know that though we don't understand, we support you," Starfire continued. "We will not tell The Robin anything unless you wish us to."

"No," Rachel said. "I can't reopen that wound."

"Can I ask one thing?" Cyborg asked.

"What?"

He offered her something which she recognized as a Titan communicator. "Can you please take this? It's modified. Untraceable and cannot be called. You can only call us."

"Why?"

"In case you want to chat. Maybe discuss the weather or the newest book you read?" Cyborg asked. "You don't need to come back but you can always talk to us."

Rachel gingerly took the communicator and slid it into her pajama pocket. She desperately wanted to avoid it but how could she say no.

"We love you, Rachel," Cyborg said, giving her a hug. "And want only the best for you. I hope you will consider reaching out to us when you are ready."

"I'll...I'll think about it."

There were no more words, her two friends smiled silently and made their way out of the apartment complex. Rachel leaned against her front door feeling the weight of the communicator in her pocket.

Her world was spinning out of control.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting the next chapter out. It's been a rough few months. **

**Chapter 12 **

Over the last few days, Nightwing could sense something was amiss between his fellow teammates but he had not been able to really pry into it. As Halloween was getting closer, Nightwing found that Doctor Light's activities were not only becoming more frequent but much more bold.

Already a few nice homes in Traverse City had been robbed, curio shops, and even the local museum. The items that were taken were also random to the point that neither he nor Zatanna could make heads over tails of it.

The Titans were not holding back. They were moving quickly to intercept the attacks when they got word and also back up the police when any encounter they found involved a meta. Nightwing had found himself almost in daily contact with Captain Eagle trying to decide the next moves.

It was one of those nights that he found himself staring at the notes on the screen trying to figure out what the criminals were up to. His head pounded from too much caffeine and the weather shifting towards being colder.

Starfire and Beast Boy were out on patrol while Cyborg and Pink Phantom were investigating a report around Sunset Park of unusual activity. He could hear Raquelle behind him humming what could only be some sort of funeral dirge while she ripped a pillowcase into strips for no apparent reason. It was the fifth pillow case she had destroyed so he had gotten used to the sound of the rending fabric.

"Add chicken guts and gristle to the list of stolen items," Zatanna said striding into the large hotel room that had become their apartment. Zatanna tossed her jacket and top hat on to the bed. Raquelle hissed at her, barring her sharp teeth like an unhappy cat. The magician just stuck her tongue out in return.

Richard was not surprised the two did not get along with Zatanna being an expert in stopping and entrapping demons with Constantine. Suffice to say, Nightwing had a few choice words with the JLA and Constatine about Raquelle.

"Are we looking at some sort of magical curse?" Dick asked with a resigned shrug. "Halloween is coming and that's usually a big day for a lot of magic users."

"Yeah," Zatanna nodded, flopping down in the chair across from him. "I've already talked to the wiccan coven that's here and they haven't heard anything. I mean, they're only loose affiliations but I don't think anything is happening with them."

Nightwing nodded and scratched under his mask.

"You know you can take that off," Zatanna said amused. "I know who you are. I work with your mutual night stalker."

Nightwing grinned. Of course the Justice League knew who he was and it had only been last year that he had let the Titans know too.

"More habit than paranoia...this time," the young man said with a chuckle.

"How are you doing with...her?" Zatanna asked quietly nodding to Raquelle who had grabbed a few small shot bottles of whiskey and was drinking them happily. The amount of liquor she put down, he would have expected her to not be able to stand upright but he had never once seen the demoness drunk. Constantine had explained that they sometimes like strong flavors and alcohol had almost no effect on their internals and were different than humans. They were not much different on the outside though. The first few weeks he had seen Raquelle naked enough times with the refusal to wear clothes to know that she was definitely a woman.

"She seems to be as calm as you can expect, especially with...Raven being in town." Nightwing said in response. "It's been difficult but I don't know what else to do. I just can't send her away."

"Yeah," Zatanna said, waving her wand lazily causing a bottle of water to materialize from the sparkling magic. "I remember that conversation with Constatine. I thought you were going to come to blows."

"It would have if calmer heads didn't prevail."

"I wouldn't have called myself calm but someone had to be the mediator," Zatanna murmured with a smirk.

"Do you think she'll adapt enough to life here that she can-"

Zatanna was not able to finish the sentence when they both heard retching from behind them. Nightwing leapt up from his chair knocking it over while Zatanna rushed around the table. They both had turned to see Raquelle doubled over and throwing up black ichor on to the bed.

"Raquelle!" Nightwing said holding on to her shoulders trying to comfort her.

"Make sure not to touch whatever she's throwing up until we know it's safe," Zatanna warned, grabbing towels from the bathroom. "Nothing harmless comes out of a monster."

Raquelle gulped air like a fish out of water, her eyes wide with what could only be an expression of terror.

"Shhhh," Nightwing tried to calm her and she rested her head on his shoulder after wiping her mouth with her arm leaving a dark streak.

"Too much whiskey?" Raquelle whispered.

"Get her off the bed and towards the bathroom," Zatanna said. "It'll be easier if she has another episode."

Helping the woman off the bed, Nightwing could not help but notice how frail she felt under his arm. He knew it was an illusion as she was strong enough to rip his heart out of his chest. A pang of fear shot through him as her eyes seemed dazed just from moving. They made it to the bathroom where she immediately shed her crimson leotard and stood there bare, her red flesh glistening in the fluorescent light.

Nightwing diverted his eyes from her naked form and reached for the bathrobe when he heard her slide down onto the cool, linoleum floor.

"No," she struggled to say. "No touching my skin. So hot."

A demon complaining about the heat? Something was wrong.

"Nightwing," Zatanna called and he stepped out of the bathroom but still close enough to keep an eye on Raquelle.

Nightwing met the concerned eyes of his comrade.

"It's blood."

"Blood?"

"Yeah, She's throwing up blood which is never a good sign."

"Do you know what's wrong with her? She's saying things are too hot."

Zatanna's delicate eyebrow shot up catching on to the strangeness of that too.

"No, I don't know enough and I doubt Constatine is gonna help."

"I wouldn't trust him anyway. I mean...I could call Tobias and see if he has anyone in Traverse City."

Zatanna's eyes turned hard at the mention of Tobias Finton, better known by the Justice League as Lord Frixon, The Four Eyed Terror, Leader of Clan Haraxan.

"I don't have any other options," Nightwing said, reaching for his cell phone. Zatanna opened her mouth but Nightwing shook his head. "I know those options and I still refuse."

Nightwing had to leave a voicemail but he was concerned. In a matter of minutes, Raquelle had gone from a vibrant being to panting and exhausted from every move she made. Even her skin had become paler than it once was.

The Blue Wonder was worried he might be losing her too.

* * *

Rachel swore to herself when she threw the garbage bag towards the open can but it just bounced and fell out. A week had gone by and her old friends had kept their word. They had not reached out to her nor had she seen them. Her mind had been struggling with the turmoil of wanting to go back even though she would be walking back into the pain and anguish she had caused. Was going back to Jump City really an option?

Bending down, she grabbed the bag but heard a low whistle behind her.

"Mmm, mmm. What a view."

Rachel sighed and threw the bag successfully into the trash can.

"Hello, Jinx."

Rachel turned around with arms folded to see the girl perched one level up on the fire escape looking down at her with that smile. It always seemed to be cat-like, a mix of happy and planning like she had Rachel right where she wanted. The smile flattered those pink eyes.

"How's my favorite human doing?"

"Trying to be human."

"Boring."

"What do you want, Jinx?"

She swung her legs over the railing and sat on it kicking her legs like a little girl on a bridge. Rachel had always been impressed with her balance.

"Just wanted to check on you, see if you're ready to dump that dude and come run away with me."

"Hah," Raven laughed sardonically. "Like what could you offer me to run away?"

"Drink wine and eat chocolate all day. Fuck all night."

A blush exploded on Raven's face before she could react and Jinx's grin got bigger.

"You're thinking about it."

"Shut up."

Jinx stood and began to walk like a balance board across it and then hop effortlessly to a window sill and to another fire escape with an ease that did not alay the panic that hit Rachel seeing her flying through the air like that.

"Things are heating up," Jinx said. "The Titans are worried because we haven't been able to find out what Doctor Light has been planning. Everything he does seems to be random."

"Oh?" Rachel said sitting down on the back step and pulling out her phone to look like she was bored and not at all interested in what the pinkette was saying.

"Yeah," the hex witch said. "Things like animal carcasses, a meteorite fragment from a museum, old brass bell, just random shit."

Rachel stopped texting her boyfriend for a second as a memory hit her.

"Did you say a brass bell and a meteorite fragment?"

"Yeah."

"Any chance they also got their hands on platinum, a gem that has a blue hue, and iron rods?"

Jinx stopped her swinging and froze. "He hit a bank and stole many things from the vault. Platinum coins were on the insurance list. They also vandalized a cemetery by tearing down their rote iron fence."

Rachel gritted her teeth. Why did she have to get involved?

"They're working on a portal, Jinx."

"What? I don't recognize the ingredients."

"It's not a magic portal. It's a cosmic portal. Those ingredients are the basics to create a dimension field between our reality and one of the nearby realities close to ours. Remember the elder gods or valhalla, the realities near ours?"

"Shit," Jinx said with a low whistle. "We've been thinking it was voodoo and didn't even look at it, maybe it wasn't magical at all."

"Red herring."

"Oooh. That's a good fish. You inviting me out to dinner?"

"Jinx."

"Okay, okay. So, if I remember correctly, it's cosmic energy that he's bending to his will which means the portal he's trying to generate is gonna be small, because the amounts needed are quite a lot. He's not bringing an elder god in."

"Thank goodness," Rachel said. "Not to mention the ritual to do it is extremely difficult even for practitioners and cultists who have been studying the process for years. That's why we don't have an elder god attack once a year….but I'm not interested."

Rachel quickly went back to her phone. She refused to allow herself to be dragged back into the world of super heroes. She was just a human girl.

"Don't you go ignoring me," Jinx said, finally hopping down and kneeling in front of Rachel on the stoop. She gently lifted Rachel's chin to make eye contact. "I saw that spark of excitement. It's still in your blood to play hero. "

"You are trying to convince me to be a hero?" the dark haired girl asked with a raised eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief. "How the mighty have fallen."

"Pfft," Jinx said with a laugh. "I don't give a crap about hero work. I only play hero when it pays well enough. Now, I do care about the girl who wants to be a superhero and doesn't know it."

"And what's your goal if you get me back at being a hero?"

Jinx's grin grew even larger as she ran a finger down Rachel's arm leaving goosebumps in their place. "Maybe said heroine would be so grateful she might let me in her pants."

"By Azar, Jinx," Raven said flustered. "Is sex all you can think about?"

"Why not?" Jinx said with a shrug. "It's fun with the right partner or partners and I like it. Don't go trying to kink shame me. You were a demon once. Who knows what twisted, kinky things you did to poor ol' Robin."

Rachel stood and turned back to the door trying to hide the furious red that burned her face. Jinx was so good at pushing her buttons. She did not know if she wanted to punch her in the mouth or kiss those lips.

"I've got to go get ready for work. Go away and find someone else to harass," Rachel said.

All Jinx gave in answer was the tinkling, mischievous laugh of a sprite.


End file.
